Black Betty
by ElectricYouth
Summary: Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from them again. So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again. OC/Daryl
1. Black Eye' Betty

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

A second chance. Now that's something you did not get too often, a time to reinvent yourself and start a fresh page. The basic necessity of a person's life is to feel accepted, you only have one chance to do this, before society writes you off into a category. It has no affiliation with 'wise' slogans or intellectual lectures. Second chances were about as rare as an undead apocalypse.

Fortunately, Betty was back at square one.

Sure some aspects of the world had changed, such as a wild outbreak of flesh eating monsters, but Betty got her second chance. It did not deter her that the world had gone to the pits, all that mattered to her was that no one could judge her from a piece of paper anymore. Should she be cursed for enjoying the new world? Probably. Did she feel the slightest bit guilty about her thoughts? Fuck no.

**_#_**

"What type of pansy ass speed limit is this?" Betty shouted. Her voice rung out to the two passengers in front of her, their joyful singing drowning her voice out. Betty looked between the pair angrily, and looked at the woman beside her.

"Pipe down Betsy, don't get ya braids in a knot" Scarlett remarked, breaking off her singing and looking back to her frustrated passenger. The dark haired woman was curled up with a brooding expression, the rolled down window creating a shampoo ad effect on her hair.

That was Betty. Mostly acknowledged as 'Black-Eye-Betty' or Betsy by her three companions. She scowled back at Scarlett, "I ain't got braids, ya mug" She drawled snottily, turning her head back to the window and enjoying the breeze.

"Naw, from what I 'member, you had braids all tha time as ah youngin'" Johnny laughed from the front seat, reaching back to tug at her hair playfully. She tried to scowl at him, only to end up grinning back at him. "So, where we headin'?" Johnny asked, turning back to the steering wheel and gazing ahead.

Betty looked over to their more silent companion, peering closely at the brunette. "Your choice Valerie, where ye wanna go?" She asked, she lifted her legs and rested them on the bench seat in front of them. She heard Johnny briefly complain about the vintage leather, only to cut him off with a kick to the back of the head.

"I don't know" Valerie said quietly, cautiously looking at Betty and chewing her lip.

"Well we're loosing daylight, so ye better make a decision, quick sticks" Betty urged, growing impatient with the girl.

Valerie fumbled with a decision before blurting out "Atlanta" with a heavy sigh.

"I don't know about Atlanta, we ain't heard transmissions for weeks" Scarlett mused, turning in her seat and looking at Valerie "Ye sure?" She asked. Valerie gave a short nod and Scarlett shrugged, "Well move it Johnny"

Johnny sped up quickly, taking off down an deserted dirt track and heading onto an abandoned highway. Half of the highway was filled with cars and the other empty, to the group's horror, it was the lane exiting Atlanta that was filled with burnt vehicles.

"Christ, was there a napalm or sumfin'?" Betty wondered aloud, sitting up straighter and sticking her head out the window. "Damn" she sighed, watching the cars past.

"Maybe this was a bad idea" Valerie said meekly, shying away from Scarlett's sarcastic facial expression.

"Nonsense" Betty said cheerfully, raising herself from her car seat and sliding through the sunroof. She sat on the hood of the car and looked down at Valerie "There's probably more food for us" She laughed optimistically.

Scarlett scoffed from within the car "You mean more fuglies to eat us"

Stone chuckled from the top of the car, she remembered how the group had argued for days over what to call the living dead. Scarlett had eventually won the right to call them 'fugly' or 'fuglies', she had won a game of poker that night for the privilege.

"Look on the bright side Scar, at least we can get rid of Betsy quicker" Johnny snorted, swerving the car from one side of the road to the other. Betty squeaked and held on tightly, eventually falling back into the car.

"Idiot!" She snapped, slapping the back of Johnny's head angrily. Johnny turned around quickly, taking his hands off the wheel and leaning over to slap Betty back repeatedly. The car swerved back and forth dangerously, scratching alongside other cars and causing dents.

"Watch out!" Scarlett shouted, grabbing the wheel just before it could slam into a car. It skidded to a halt and Betty smashed into Johnny painfully. The group froze momentarily, staring at one another and rubbing sore joints irritably. "Nice going Johnny" Scarlett snapped, hopping out of the car and checking the damage. She cursed loudly and kicked at the car angrily.

The rest of the group joined her outside, each member groaning louder than the other. The car was totaled and the front of it was crushed into the other vehicle. "What are we gonna do now?" Betty wondered irritably, taking a seat on the boot of the car and scanning the area.

"We could try take another car" Valerie suggested, eying a black jeep hopefully.

"We'd need one that ain't gonna take too much gas" Johnny mused, dismissing Valerie's silent thoughts on the jeep. He looked over at a burnt vehicle "It's gonna be hard to find a functioning one in this mess" He added. The group exchanged glances before tiredly separating and searching for a car.

They aimlessly stumbled around the highway, the remaining cars were mostly burnt or siphoned. Gas wasn't a problem for the four, but finding a vehicle when the sky was darkening was becoming a high priority. After searching for a long period and covering a vast area, the group met back at their car only to find scavengers.

Johnny bolted into action, racing towards the burliest bloke and slamming him back into the car. "Wha' tha fuck ye think ye doin'?" A harsh southern voice spat, before the man did a three sixty on Johnny and slammed him against the car. Valerie looked fearfully at Betty, who immediately sprung towards the car. She grabbed her gun from beneath the car seat and leapt outside.

She pulled her gun on the man who almost knocked Johnny out, and gritted her teeth "What do ya think you're doing?" Betty asked, cocking the gun and setting her finger on the trigger deliberately. The man shifted his eyes to her, his face hardened when he saw the gun and he unfurled his hands from Johnny's shirt.

"Ah should be askin' questions" The man said indignantly, stepping backwards with raised hands "Yer tha ones tha' nearly knocked me on ma ass" The man's southern accent increased with each word and he looked between Johnny and Betty closely.

"Well you were in our car" Betty said snidely, frowning at the redneck.

"Maybe ye shouldn't leave ye gear lying 'round" The man retorted.

"Touche"

"Sorry" Johnny mumbled quickly, outstretching a hand apologetically. Betty rolled her eyes at Johnny's goody two shoe behavior. The man was caught off guard naturally and frowned momentarily at him, but shook his hand nonetheless with a crooked grin.

"I'm Johnny"

"I'm Merle" Merle said gruffly. He looked over at Betty with a cocked eyebrow "How 'bout yew, sugar tits?" He leered. Betty pulled a face at him and remained silent, still pointing her gun in his face.

"That's Betty" Johnny said quickly, interrupting the tense silence between the three. "And that's Scarlett and Valerie" He added, pointing behind them. Merle peered over Johnny's shoulder, winking at both the now shy girls and looking back up at Johnny with admiration.

"Three bitches, now tha's impressive" He drawled.

"Charming" Scarlett muttered from afar, earning another leering grin from Merle.

"Eh Merle, can't find naw gas" Another southern accent called from afar. Merle turned with a scowl and looked out to the cars impatiently.

"Ye ain't lookin' hard 'nough" Merle snapped, slapping the other man upside the head as he approached the group. The man stopped suddenly, his hand clenching his crossbow cautiously while he looked at Betty's raised gun. "Aye sugar tits, ye gunna shoot tha gun or wha'?"

Betty lowered the gun slowly and tucked it into her belt, she still looked cautiously at the two men, especially the newcomer.

"This 'eres Betty 'n Johnny" Merle drawled to the man "And tha's Scarlett 'n Valerie" Merle flicked his hand in their direction and watched his brother nod shortly. "This is Daryl, my liddol brudda" He added, looking pointedly at the group. A murmur of greetings echoed between the groups and was followed by a tense silence.

"So..er what brings ya 'ere?" Johnny asked, peering around the highway as if it was a popular social club.

"We was huntin', buh we ain't got much gas" Daryl said finally.

"We 'ave gas" Betty mumbled, moving behind the car and lifting a small container of gas "This 'nough?" She asked, handing the container over.

"Should git us back ta tha' camp" Daryl remarked, checking over the container and going to the pick-up truck.

"Camp?" Valerie asked softly, moving forward and looking at the brothers questionably. "Don't you mean the refuge center?"

Merle snickered, shaking his head at their obliviousness "Atlanta ain't nuthin' buh rotting geeks"

"Wha' ye mean?" Betty asked, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Like ah said, nuthin' buh rotting geeks. Army did shit all, bombed tha' place and nuthin' been in there since" Merle shook his head with a grimace, "Buh we got a camp just outta Atlanta, ah mile or so up ahead" Merle looked at the group "Ya lookin' for some where ta stay, ah bunch of survivors been livin' up t'ere"

Johnny and Betty exchanged a suspicious glance, considering the option of staying with the group.

"We're gunna head up t'ere now, ya'll can come" Merle added, his eyes traveled over the group and he hopped into the truck. "Jus' hook up 'n we'll take ya there"

Johnny looked back at her, "Sure" he mumbled and grabbed a piece of rope. They eventually tied their car to the brother's and got back into the car. Betty dithered for a moment, she looked up at the darkening sky and saw no other option. She reluctantly slid back into the car, allowing the brothers to lead them.

"How do we know we can trust 'em?" Scarlett asked, staring at Johnny and then at Betty.

"We don't" Valerie whispered.

Betty shrugged nonchalantly, "Wha' can we do? It's dark and we ain't got anywhere else ta stay" She said brazenly.

"I reckon we should still be careful though, we don't know these men" Scarlett pressed.

"Well why don't ye find us a place ta stay" Betty snapped impatiently, throwing Scarlett an irritated glare. Scarlett backed down automatically and turned her attention to the road ahead. The car ride was silent, each member enthralled in their own thoughts.

"We'll stay for one night if ye that bothered" Betty mumbled after a while, having mulled over numerous violent situations in her head. Scarlett looked back at her with a slight grimace.

"It ain't really 'em I'm worried 'bout Betsy, its being so close to tha' city. Ye heard 'em, it's overrun. Ah don't think it's safe being so close" Scarlett voiced.

"We'll give it till tomorrow" Betty agreed.


	2. You Again

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

The cars pulled up to a reasonable sized camp, the sky had darkened considerably and the only thing in sight was the dim light of fire. The brothers hopped out of their truck first, gathering their supplies and gesturing for the four to follow after them.

"I'm not sure we should go" Valerie whispered fearfully. She was shaking and her eyes darted around the camp.

"Ye need ta git over being so shy" Johnny said, getting out and going to the boot of the car. Betty looked over at Valerie with a grimace, the youngest member of the group was extremely socially awkward. It took the group a week of coaxing before she even uttered a single word to them.

"We'll set up away from the camp" Scarlett reassured while sliding out of the car. Betty followed after her, helping Johnny unpack their gear and following after the brothers. Valerie trailed after them reluctantly, her hair shielding her face from view while she scurried through shadows.

"That's becoming a pain in tha ass" Betty muttered, throwing Valerie an irritated glare.

"Give her some time" Scarlett interrupted "She lost both her parents two weeks ago"

Johnny gave Betty a pointed look and strolled towards the brothers' tent. "So where is everyone?" He asked casually, taking a seat on one of the many logs outside their tent. Betty watched Daryl frown at him before entering the tent irritably.

"Ah guess thar all sleepin'" Merle drawled, eying the camp "We got one up ova yonder" He added, pointing over to a figure on the RV.

"Ah suppose we won't be seeing anymore till morning?" Scarlett assumed, bending over to pitch the first tent.

"Git sum rest, 'n I'll introduce ye maself" Merle said, leering at Scarlett's bent over position.

"Thank ya Merle. We're mighty grateful" Johnny murmured, stepping in front of Scarlett and shielding her from Merle's view. Merle simply shrugged, grinning cockily and disappearing into his tent. Betty could hear the clink of bottles as she set up her and Johnny's tent, she didn't put it past Merle to be drinking in these circumstances.

Betty and Johnny murmured their good-night's to both Valerie and Scarlett, before escaping into their tent and resting in two separate cots.

"Wha' do ye thank 'bout tha camp?" Johnny asked after a moments silence.

"Dunno, it's too dark ta tell" Betty replied, she felt her eyes grow heavy and she rolled over.

"I thank Merle's got a thang for Scar" Johnny whispered.

"Better do something about it before he gets her first then" Betty whispered back, finally drifting off into sleep.

_#_

Betty awoke to the aroma of cooked meat, she bolted up groggily and took in her surroundings. Her tent was empty, the sun was bright and shone through the opening of her tent, she squinted momentarily and let her eyes adjust slowly. She maneuvered herself off the bed, her tired body aching slightly as she crawled her way out of the tent.

"Ah thar is liddol miss thang"

Betty looked up at the looming figure, she scowled and moved away quickly.

"Naw dun' be like that" Merle laughed, offering her his hand and pulling her up. "Ye should be grateful ah let ya ass in"

"You should be grateful ah gave ya asses gas" Betty retorted, freeing her hand from his grip and grimacing.

Merle let out a booming laugh and smacked her behind "A liddol fight, ah like that" He grinned cockily and went back to the campfire outside his tent. Betty cursed him underneath her breath, only briefly noticing Merle's brother relaxing by the fire as well. She glanced around their tent area, noticing that Johnny, Scarlett and Valerie were no where to be seen.

Reluctantly Betty made her way to Merle, ignoring his brother's annoyed glances her way. "Have ye seen ma group?" She asked curiously, taking a seat opposite Merle and away from Daryl. She looked at the brothers expectantly, earning a leer from Merle.

"I'll tell ye, if ya do a liddol somethang for me" Merle drawled, grinning widely at her.

Betty made a noise of disgust and stood up, "Forget it" She scoffed and started her way towards the RV she had seen the night before.

"Thar gettin' a tour" A southern voice called out to her. Betty turned and looked at Daryl, she nodded with gratitude and walked up to campsite. She briefly heard the sound of skin to skin contact, followed by a long list of curses. She smirked to herself and ignored the sound of arguments behind her.

When she reached the campsite, she took in a sharp breath. The campsite was full with several cars and small clusters of tents, people were walking all over the site, with basic chores and chatter between them. Men were keeping watch, fixing cars and fooling around while the women were cleaning, taking care of the children and cooking. Betty stared speechless, she hadn't seen such normality in a long time.

She rubbed her eyes dazedly, ignoring the many stares she was earning. "Bull shit" She mumbled to herself, taking a step further into the camp and studying the place curiously. She averted her attention suddenly when her sleeve was tugged lightly.

"Hi, ye lost?"

Betty looked down by her side and noticed a small boy with black hair and large blue eyes stare up at her. Beside him, a small blonde haired girl grinned happily up at her.

"I'm Carl" The boy continued, outstretching a hand and shaking hers lightly "And this is Sofia" He gestured to the shy girl beside him.

"I'm Betty" She said, still staring at the boy before her. He looked so familiar, so much like- Betty shook her head, she definitely was not going there. Thinking about him only made her go into a fit of rage.

"You with that new group that just joined?" Carl asked curiously, eying the revolver in her holster.

"Yeah, do ya know where they are?" Betty asked, turning her hip away from the young boy.

"Shane just took 'em down to the quarry." Sofia finally said, blushing at her new found attention.

"Oh"

"You can wait with me and Carl" Sofia said hopefully.

"Uh sure, why not?" Betty mumbled, taken back as the young girl grabbed her hand boldly and led her towards a campfire.

"My mummy is down by the quarry cleaning clothes, this is our tent" Sofia said, offering Betty a seat by the tent. Sofia rambled on about more pointless objects around her tent and Carl added in small facts about his own. Sofia went on to tell her a story when she suddenly grew silent and looked down.

Betty frowned, she had just begun to enjoy the children's company and when she looked up, she found a large slob-of-a-man look back at her. "Uh hi" She muttered in acknowledgement, taking in the man's large appearance and stench of cigarettes and meat. The man grunted at her, and entered his tent, not before giving Sofia a look Betty did not enjoy.

"Who's that?" Betty asked quietly, looking at the silent kids.

"That's Ed" Carl whispered. "He's Sofia's dad"

"I don't like him" Sofia admitted quietly, glancing nervously at the tent.

"At least your dads alive" Carl said sadly, looking away.

"I wish he wasn't" Sofia mumbled.

Betty felt slightly uncomfortable and went to move away, when Sofia's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist tightly. "Please don't go" She begged, "I don't wanna be alone with daddy"

Betty frowned instantly "You've got Carl" She said.

"Please don't go" Sofia repeated.

"Sofia's dad does things to-"

"Shut up Carl, you swore you wouldn't tell" Sofia hissed, swatting at Carl angrily. She turned back to Betty with a desperate look, "Please?"

Betty sighed and nodded mutely, deciding to coax the two to tell her another story. While they told her about their trip to Atlanta, Betty zoned off into her thoughts. She wondered where her group was and what was taking them so long. Not that she minded the children's company but she preferred the presence of people she knew, and quite frankly, Ed gave her a sickly feeling.

"-And so that's how we got here" Carl finished, grinning expectantly at her.

"Uh cool, I-"

"Thar ye are Betty" A couple of hands gripped her shoulders tightly. She looked up with a frown and was met with a grimace from Johnny. She looked at him questionably while he took a seat beside her, "Ye ain't gunna believe who's 'ere" Johnny whispered, looking over her shoulder.

Betty followed his gaze and blurted out a string of dangerous threats and curses.

"Hey kids, how 'bout ye run off and gimme time with Betty and later tonight ah'll tell ye a story" Johnny suggested, grinning charmingly at the two children.

"Okay!" They chorused happily, giggling as they ran off towards the RV.

"Wha' tha hell is he doin' 'ere?" Betty hissed, furiously glaring over at a small cluster of people.

"Ah dunno, buh' he was sure as hell surprised when ah turned up" Johnny explained. "Oh Christ, he's coming over"

Betty watched the man approach slowly and she recoiled, "Ah rather grate ma skin then talk to 'im" She sneered. She rose fast from her seat and turned around.

"Naw, dun' go" Johnny quipped, taking a hold of her arm and turning her back around "Ah wanna watch him squirm"

Betty uncomfortably stood in her spot, very aware of Scarlett and Valerie's fearful glances her way. She took a deep breath and allowed the man to stand before her.

"Well if it ain't Shane Walsh" Betty snarled, taking in his muscle bound appearance.

"It's been a long time Liz" He admitted, his eyes traveled her with surprise.

"Not long enough" She snapped, glaring furiously up at him. At that moment, Betty couldn't of hated anyone more than she did Shane Walsh, she wanted to leave...no she wanted Shane dead!

* * *

**Sorry for the late updating and sorry for the short chapter. I'm making the third chapter though, so yeah!**


	3. Commonality

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Shane faced her, the pair were having a silent Mexican stand off. Neither of them moved, their eyes boring into each other while a cluster of people surrounded them. Johnny moved between the two, pushing Betty back slightly.

"Not now" Johnny murmured, pressing his hand against her shoulder.

"Why?" Betty hissed, frowning up at him. Johnny nodded his head towards Carl and Sofia, who had come back curiously. Betty rolled her eyes and looked at Shane, bitter words pressing against her lips urgently.

"Ah thought ye'd be dead by now" Johnny drawled lazily, looking back at Shane with a smug smirk.

"I've been pretty much holed up here at this camp since the outbreak" Shane said unfazed, returning the smirk.

Betty clenched her fists angrily, "Ain't that a shame" She muttered. Shane frowned at her and she scowled back, "Don't give me that coy look Shane Walsh. You know exactly why I'm bitter" She snapped.

Shane furrowed his eyebrows and looked worriedly over his shoulder, "Look Liz-"

"Shane who's this?" A voice interrupted.

Betty looked behind him, a woman with long brown hair glanced between the two curiously. "Ah Lori, it's no-"

"I'm Betty" Betty interrupted, outstretching a hand and giving both Shane and Lori a sickly smile.

"I'm Lori" The woman replied, ushering Carl and Sofia towards her. "Do you two know one another?" She asked.

"Why ye-"

"NO!" Shane said loudly.

Lori frowned at him, "Oh okay" She murmured, nodding at Betty and leaving with the children by her side.

"Ah 'spose ah should be use to ya not wantin' ta be seen with me" Betty said, shaking her head at Shane "Ah mean, ah haven't seen ya since ah was fifteen" She added bitterly.

"Yeah well, you changed Liz and you ran away!"

"I didn't run away!" Betty hissed, lunging forward and being pulled back by Johnny.

"That's 'nuff for today" Johnny mumbled, shooing Shane away and taking her to the other side of the camp.

Betty pulled herself free from Johnny's grip, "Ah hate him!" She complained, scuffing her shoe into the dirt.

"So do ah. Nuthin' much we can do 'bout it though" Johnny said, leading her back to their tent.

"We can leave" Betty suggested.

"Ah don't wanna leave" Scarlett interrupted, appearing at their side with Valerie close by. "I've started ta warm up ta this place"

"Ye only been 'ere a day" Betty scoffed, furrowing her eyebrows towards her.

"I kinda like it here too" Valerie mumbled, a tinge of red fluttered across her cheeks while her eyes found their way back to camp.

Betty followed her gaze, her eyes settling on Shane. "Oh no! Valerie, no! Scarlett.." She complained loudly. Scarlett looked at Shane and turned back to Valerie with a grimace.

"Not him, Valerie. Of all people" Scarlett agreed.

"He's nice to me" Valerie argued, her cheeks were glowing red.

"He's so stupid, he couldn't find his ass with both hands." Betty contradicted.

Valerie shook her head at the two girls, an angry huff escaping her lips as she disappeared into her tent. Betty and Scarlett turned to Johnny expectantly, but he raised his hands and shook his head. "As much as well all hate Shane, it would be good for her to find some normality. She just lost her parents weeks ago, and she hasn't warmed up to anyone that fast either"

"Tha guy is obviously married" Scarlett argued, "Tha woman 'n kid is his"

"That ain't his kid or woman" A thicker southern drawl interrupted. Betty, Scarlett and Johnny turned with surprise. They all had been so involved in their argument, that they hadn't noticed Daryl's approach. Betty found herself frowning.

"Tha woman 'n kid is sum pals. Shane jus' hits it" Daryl continued knowingly.

"Did he say who's kid?" Betty asked, a thought flooding her mind.

"Naw" Daryl shook his head and turned, he shouldered his cross bow and disappeared into the hedge of trees.

"Do ye thank?"

"Betty, even _he_ wouldn't be that cruel. C'mon, let's go explorin'"

The trio spent time walking around the camp, both Scarlett and Johnny showed Betty around. Betty had to admit, it was much better than they had been living in. The four had lived from shitty building to building, encountering herds of walkers and hostile humans. It only made them a stronger team, despite the many losses along the way.

Once Betty had explored the whole camp, she found herself sitting around a group fire with Shane opposite her and an awkward silence. She shifted uncomfortably in her spot, avoiding eye contact with him and everyone else around the fire.

"I'm Johnny, this is Scarlett, Valerie and Betty" Johnny introduced them to the rest of the group, earning a chorus of cheerful greetings and silent hand waves. Betty soon found herself surrounded by children, Carl and Sofia hadn't forgotten Johnny's promise.

"You promised a story" Sofia whispered to Johnny, a gleeful smile on her lips.

"Well okay" Johnny said, having forgotten himself.

Johnny rambled off into a long winded story, retelling exaggerated stories on their voyage from New Orleans to Atlanta. Even telling the young children their life in Las Vegas, in which Scarlett had to cut him off due to the inappropriate content. Meanwhile, Betty had stared at Shane the entire time. She found it ironic finding him here, in an apocalypse of all places. Though she hated him greatly, it put her mind at ease to know he was alright.

"Ya can't be telling the truth" Carl said, after Johnny's story had finished.

"Ah am liddol man" Johnny drawled, sending Carl a toothy smile and flashing a series of silver teeth.

Carl and Sofia lent forward in awe and stared at his teeth, "Ain't ya never seen silver teeth?" Scarlett chortled.

"They have now" Valerie muttered, smiling at the kids affectionately.

Over the next few hours, Betty found herself drifting in and out of conversations. She had warmed up slightly to a few people in camp, particularly Glen and even, in small doses, Merle Dixon. The older Dixon brother reminded her of Johnny in their younger years, but with the good memories always came the bad. She didn't spend much time around him for those exact reasons.

She later found herself outside the Dixon's tent, after a series of short arguments with Shane, drunkenly rambling about her anger issues. It was only Merle, Johnny, Daryl and Betty around the dying fire, various empty bottles littered around them in heaps.

"Wh-wha's tha d-deal wit ye 'n officer shit head?" Merle slurred, leaning forward and squinting at the tree behind Betty.

"He's an asshole" Betty declared loudly, suddenly being quietened by Daryl.

"Sh!" Johnny whispered, bringing his finger up to his mouth and hushing them. "W-we ain't allowed ta talk 'bout it" He fell back in a drunken state and fell asleep where he laid.

"Why can't ya talk sweet cheeks?" Merle demanded, leaning forward too far and falling on his face. Betty broke into small peals of laughter, whatever alcohol Merle had provided, was clearly going to her head. "Ah fuck" Merle sighed before passing out cold.

This left Daryl and Betty to awkwardly stare at one another, left alone in silence. Daryl lifted his half full bottle to his mouth and swigged the rest of it down, he turned to Betty expectantly and raised his eyebrows, "Well?"

"Well wha'?"

Daryl rolled his eyes, "Ya gonna tell me why officer dip shit 'n ye dun git along?"

"Oh"

Betty downed the rest of her drink and threw it to the side, "Ah knew Shane since ah was liddol. But, sum shit happened 'n he basically turned his back on me" Betty explained, a bitter resentment taking over her face. "Everyone did"

Daryl looked at her quietly, "Ah know tha feeling" He mumbled.

Betty cocked her head and tried to coax more out of him, instead he turned his head and rose from his seat. He grumbled incoherently about sleeping and marched into his tent, without even a goodnight. Betty frowned at his behaviour, feeling confused and alone, she laid down on her log and slowly drifted to sleep.

_#_

A disgruntled Betty walked through the campsite, she had never been able to handle a hangover and she certainly couldn't deal with this one. She had emptied her stomach all over the place that morning, and was prepared to do it again. Deciding not to gross the children out, Betty stumbled her way into the forest and threw up copious amounts there. She sighed heavily and wiped her mouth, quietly cursing Merle under her breath and swearing she'd never drink again.

She looked up eventually from her place beside a bush, recoiling from the smell of her drunken mess and rising to her feet. She walked a few metres forward, ignoring the queasy feeling turning her stomach again, she looked over a hedge and down a slope where the quarry lay. The sound of water lapping against stone brought a smile to her face, she slid down the slope easily and skidded to a halt on the rocky path leading to the quarry.

She practically ran into the empty lake, loosing her t-shirt, jeans and sneakers and diving straight into the cold water. She let the water rush over her, the heat from the sky and the cold water creating a paradise for her, a small luxury. She swam around for an hour, her hangover wearing off more and more, each time she dipped her head underwater.

"Ye seem ta be enjoying that sugar tits" Merle drawled from the edge, causing Betty to squeal in surprise and splash around.

"You idiot!" She complained, eying the older man from her spot in the water. "Ya can't sneak up on people like that anymore" She added irritably.

Merle shrugged and lazily fell into the water, he floated not far from her and Betty was strangely comfortable with his presence. "Ya know ye never told me why, ye 'n officer shit-fer-brains ain't friendly" He stated, peering over at her.

"Big dick head" Betty huffed, glowering up the cliffs edge to the campsite.

"Well ah already established that hon" Merle scoffed. He swam backwards and rested his back against a large rock, an expectant look on his face. Betty found herself grinning and rolling her eyes, she laid on her back and floated around.

"Knew him since ah was liddol, practically an older brother. Then some stuff happened-"

"Wha' sorta stuff?"

Betty cringed, bitting her lip nervously. "In and out of Juvi" she admitted.

Merle roared loudly, and Betty looked around anxiously making sure no fuglies were in sight. "That's all?" Merle chortled, "Hon, ah been in 'n outta Juvi. Say, how old were ya?" A crazy smile formed on his lips and Betty suddenly felt at home.

"Fifteen."

"Aw shucks girl, ah been in 'n outta Juvi since ah was thirteen. Wha' were ya in for?"

"Theft 'n break 'n enter" She confessed.

Merle laughed and shook his head, "Not even tha bad side. Carry on ye story hon"

"So after that, came home 'n he wanted nuthin' ta do with me. Nor did ma family, so ah ran off wit Johnny 'n Scarlett" Betty shrugged, having come closer to Merle and leaning up against the rocks as well.

"Seems ta me that Shane is ah liddol shit" Merle said simply, smiling lazily down at her.

Betty laughed, "Yer alright Merle" She said, grinning up at him. Merle shrugged and swam back to the rocky shore.

"C'mon, ye startin' ta look like a prune" He teased, causing Betty to scowl at him and swim back to shore as well.

Once they were dressed, Betty and Merle walked back to camp slowly, Merle sharing his experience of Juvi with her. For once in Betty's life, she felt that someone understood.


	4. Drinkin' Again

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

The plan had been to stay one night, or possibly two. However Betty found herself sucked into staying within the camp, all because of Valerie. She had argued with Valerie, the pair of them exchanging rather harsh words. Causing the younger girl to run off and cry hysterically. Betty was met with the full brunt of Scarlett and Johnny's anger, forcing her to walk off with her metaphoric tail between her legs. She stumbled her way back to their busted car, the majority of their equipment still packed inside.

She dug around inside, searching through their abandoned contents before finding a six pack of beer, a carton of cigarettes and a dusty bottle of vodka. She shrugged to herself, _might as well get drunk_ she thought bitterly. She unscrewed the vodka and pressed it against her lips, a welcoming burning sensation running down her throat. With a satisfied sigh, she made her way to Valerie's tent. A new found courage taking over.

"Valerie" She called, coming to a stand still before her tent.

She heard a brief snivelling before the flaps open roughly, and Scarlett eased herself out. She raised an eyebrow at Betty expectantly.

"Peace offering?" Betty suggested, grinning sheepishly.

"Valerie come out here" Scarlett called, pulling open the flaps wider.

Betty watched as Valerie pulled herself off the bed and made her way outside, her red eyes brimmed with tears and her eyebrows drawn together into a scowl. Betty sighed, hoping the younger girl wouldn't be as stubborn as she was in these situations. Betty raised the alcohol and cigarettes, a tempting smile on her lip.

"You staying?" Valerie mumbled, her eyes traveled over the alcohol.

"Yup" Betty popped the 'p' and she took a seat outside the tent.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Valerie said snidely, she also hesitantly took a seat opposite her.

"Let's just say, I don't quite fancy having my ass handed to me" She muttered.

Scarlett and Valerie exchanged a quick look, a smile crept on Scarlett's face. "That's as close as you're getting to a apology Valerie. Take what you get" She assured, also taking a seat and beckoning Johnny over.

"She apologise?" Johnny asked loudly, he bounded over excitedly.

"Kinda" Scarlett mumbled.

"So we good?" Betty asked, she cocked her head to the side questionably.

"Sure" Valerie sighed.

Betty offered her the alcohol, a smug smile on her face.

"I don't drink remember?" Valerie said.

Betty shrugged, "Your loss" she mumbled and handed the six pack to Johnny. She downed another gulp of vodka, allowing it to warm her insides. "Aye Merle" She called, her eyes drifted to the Dixon tent.

"Ye?" His voice called back.

"Wanna drink?"

Merle appeared out of his tent quickly, a lopsided grin forming on his lips. His eyes were darker than usual, his pupils enlarged with a deranged look behind them. He flopped to the floor beside Betty, dragging the vodka bottle to his lips and downing a good majority of it. Betty leaned closer to him, her eyes studied his face and she soon realised his erratic movements.

"Ye takin' coke" She stated, her finger flicked under his nose and a white substance lingered on her finger. She raised her eyebrows at him, it wouldn't of been the first time she had seen a friend take the same drug.

Merle laughed lazily, ignoring her statement and continuing to drink the vodka. Betty shrugged, "Each to their own" she muttered, downing her beer in one go.

It didn't take long for Merle to introduce his stash of alcohol to the group, Valerie and Scarlett soon left the three with worried looks on their faces. Night fell again and the three had stumbled their way outside of Merle's tent. Merle had continued a slurred rant on white supremacy, adding contorted facts on crime rates.

Betty fumbled with her words, she had passed the point of forming proper sentences. She forced her lips to work, "I'm gun 'ave big hangov-ov- ah fuck!" She slurred whilst peering at the dim fire before them. She rocked back and forth on her seat, her eyes closed while she willed herself to sit through another wave of nausea.

"She looks righ' fucked" A southern voice muttered.

Betty couldn't open her eyes anymore, she heard her name called several times before she fell forward. She felt herself drift as the smell of smoke passed her nose.

_#_

Johnny dragged himself out of his tent, he was the last person of the camp to rise. Well almost the last. His eyes shifted back to the tent, Betty was knocked out cold and didn't look like she was rising anytime soon.

"Where's Betsy?" Scarlett asked, appearing suddenly at Johnny's side.

Johnny inclined his head back to the tent, he rubbed his temple sorely. "Back 'n there. Best leave her, she's gunna 'ave one hell of a hangover" He suggested.

Scarlett nodded mutely, she knew all too well that Betty was not to be bothered. She had learnt the hard way. In previous years, between all the family drama and dodgy jobs, the trio would find themselves partying hard. Betty could never deal with a hangover, especially not with the hard ones she endured. After waking up Betty, Scarlett ended up in hospital and Betty got arrested.

Johnny looked down at Scarlett, he could see the same thought racing through her mind. She shuddered and shook her head, "Good luck ta whoever greets her when she wakes up" Scarlett chortled, she shook her head and walked up the slope leading to the main campsite.

"Where yer goin'?" He asked curiously.

"Fishing. Andrea 'n Amy offered, wanna come?" Scarlett called over her shoulder, she smiled shyly.

"Who on earth is Andrea 'n Amy?" Johnny asked, he walked behind Scarlett as she led the way.

"Andrea's sum hot shot lawyer, 'n Amy's her liddol sista" Scarlett explained, her nose wrinkled slightly.

Johnny grunted, he didn't like lawyers much.

_#_

Betty fell flat on her face in a rush. She groaned loudly, her hands scrabbling for some sort of protection from the light peeping through the tent flaps. "I ain't drinkin' again!" She swore, whilst pulling herself up into a seating position.

She uncovered her face and painfully waited for her eyes to adjust, she clasped her hand over her mouth while her stomach tried to empty itself.

Shaking her head, she stumbled out of the tent. Her second hangover in a row.

"Downing tha bottle again Liz?"

Betty tensed and looked up, her eyes shifting to Shane's face. She sneered slightly and recoiled backwards, almost staggering back into her tent. Shane was quick though, he gripped her arm tightly and pull her back to a almost stable position. Betty ripped her arm from his, her eyes narrowing into angry slits.

"Here" Shane muttered, passing her a plate of cooked meat and a bottle of water.

Betty snatched his offering away, and watched as he scurried his sorry ass back to camp. She waited until he left, before she downed the water and hurriedly ate the meat. Feeling immensely better, she stumbled her way to the Dixon tent.

"Merle, ye in 'ere?" She groaned, while flinging back the flaps.

She stopped suddenly. Her eyes drifted down a strong muscular body, taut arms, strong chest and broad shoulders. She found herself biting her lip as her eyes stopped at the owner's face, Daryl.

"Wha' are ye doin' 'n 'ere?" He snapped. He pulled his shirt down quickly and stepped forward.

"Uh...uh" She fumbled for words. She suddenly clamped her hand over her mouth and gagged, she stepped out of the tent and rushed over the the fringe of bushes and emptied her stomach entirely. _Good start to the day_ she thought bitterly while lunging forward into the forest.

_#_

The day passed by quickly, Scarlett and Johnny had left earlier than Andrea and Amy. Both having caught a dozen fish between them, whilst the two sisters argued about which fishing line option was better.

When they reached camp, they left their fish with the woman and scurried down to Betty's tent. They found the tent empty, with confused glances, the pair bounded back into camp.

"Any of ya seen Betty today?" Johnny asked.

"I thought she was wit ye?" Merle drawled, he clambered out of the RV with a disinterested look.

"Naw, tha tents empty." Scarlett mumbled.

They heard a large exhale from the top of the RV. Shane rose a pair of binoculars to his face and gazed out into the bushland.

"Can't see her anywhere" He said.

"She's gotta be somewhere" Johnny muttered.

_#_

Betty woke up startled, her ears perking to the rustling of bushes nearby. She looked around disorientated, her eyes travelling over where she lay.

_How did she get here? Where was she?_

She definitely could smell vomit, it was on her jeans and laid in scattered puddles around her. _Must of passed ou_t she concluded. She lifted herself up tiredly, her lack of fluids taking a toll on her strength. She wiped her mouth with disgust, promising to never lay her hand on alcohol.

Well not for too long anyway.

She staggered her way through a hedge, trying desperately to regain where she was. She pushed through more bushes, no sense of familiarity whatsoever.

Anxiety crept its way up on her, she turned around sheepishly and tried to call out for help.

But then she was suddenly pulled backwards, a shriek escaping her lips with panic..

* * *

**Sorry it's so short, I'm trying to update this story as frequently as I can. But I have my other story to worry about as well. Please don't loose interest. I have big plans for this story !**


	5. Embarrassing Encounter

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

She was flipped onto her side, the air knocked out of her lungs as a heavy weight pressed down on her. She kicked at the weight, panic surging through her veins as she smelt the rotting flesh. Next came the gasping groans before hands scrabbled towards her neck. She shrieked and pushed away the hands, her hands pulled her back as the dead man grabbed at her ankle.

She watched the walker inch it's face closer to her flesh, its mouth open and ready to bite. She swung her foot left and hit it square in the face, but it held on and pulled her forward. She felt her arms weaken from her resisting, her hangover still intensely painful. Betty kicked again weakly, her eyes racing for any sort of weapon on the floor. She grabbed at a branch and raised in the air, as she was going to bring it down to the dead man's head, an arrow swept past her and connected with the walker's head.

It slumped onto her, its blood pooling onto her and drenching her jean. Betty made a noise of disgust and kicked it off her, her eyes surveyed the area and she pulled herself up quickly. She stumbled slightly, the alcohol was still in her system and she felt the urge to vomit again.

She heard the bushes rustle and she turned with her raised branch, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Not only are ye terrible at killin' geeks, ya disorientated too"

Stone looked behind her and noticed Daryl slipping through the bushes. She furrowed her brow at him while he pulled the arrow from the mans head.

"I coulda killed him maself" She stated. She was angry that he doubted her.

Daryl scoffed, " 'N pigs fly" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I have a hangover" She retorted, "God knows I'm usually better at this"

"Never took ya few tha God fearing type"

"Metaphor" She drawled and she side stepped him, "Now which way back ta camp?"

"Not even a thank ye?"

"Wha' for? Ah was 'bout ta kill 'im" She narrowed her eyes at him.

A flash of amusement crossed Daryl's eyes, he looked at the thin branch in her hand. "Wit that?" He scoffed and looked at her, "It would break jus' by hittin' tha geek"

Betty rolled her eyes, "Maybe I'm MacGyver" She cocked her eyebrows and brushed past him.

"Oi"

Betty looked over her shoulder at him, her eyebrows furrowed together.

"Camps back that way" He said, pointing in the opposite direction.

"Oh" Betty felt her cheeks heat as she passed Daryl again and scurried her way back to camp. She was oblivious to the sly smirk she received.

_#_

"Wha's up lovelies?" Betty hollered while she came into view, her lean body appearing from behind her tent.

"Where tha hell 'ave ye been?" Johnny snapped, he stepped forward and frowned angrily.

She snickered, her head had cleared on the walk back and she was feeling incredibly better. "Went fer a walk 'n passed out" She admitted, taking a seat next to Merle. He gave her a cocky grin, cheekily giving her a thumbs up. She swatted at him.

"You what?" Scarlett screeched, causing Valerie to cover her ears and rush towards the main campsite.

"I said ah-"

Scarlett waved her hands angrily, "I know wha' I heard. How could ye be sa stupid?" She snapped. Betty chewed on her lip, she never had a problem with confrontation but being yelled at by Scarlett was another thing. She had been a mother figure to her and hell, she hated irritating her.

"I-"

"'N wha' is that on ye leg?" Johnny added, his eyes inclined to her shin. She tucked her leg away quickly but Scarlett had already grabbed a hold of it, blood soaked her shin where the walker had died.

"Did ye git bit?" Merle asked seriously. He had been chortling before, but his eyes were filled with suspicion.

Betty raised her pant leg slightly, baring a smooth shin beneath. "Woah, easy broad. Ah asked if yer were bit, not that ah wanted ye ta seduce me" He teased with a booming laugh. Betty rolled her eyes and shoved her pant leg down, deciding to ignore his comment.

Scarlett watched the pair with disgust, "Wha' happened?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Fugly came along, Daryl shot it down" Betty answered honestly.

Scarlett's eyes nearly popped out, she grew irritated by Merle and Betty's laughter and she retreated back to main camp. Johnny shook his head with disapproval and Betty scoffed loudly, "Don't gimme that look" She said.

"We both know, ye dun more stupid shit than ah ever 'ave" She said.

Johnny hushed her and rolled his eyes, he walked back up to main camp to calm down Scarlett.

Betty looked to Merle, "Do ya thank ah did 'nythang bad?" She asked.

"Ye hella stupid passin' out thats fer sure" He chortled, handing her a bottle. Betty shook her head and pushed it away.

"Yer hella stupid for passin' 'round drinks" She retorted, causing him to chuckle briefly.

Merle and Betty had relaxed around their fire for the rest of the night, they had watched the main camp from afar with smirks over their faces. She had watched Daryl and Merle bicker quietly between themselves and she had even joined in on the bickering when it reached a wrestling debate. Soon enough Daryl and Betty were sharing a rather heated discussion, the pair of them starting to yell at one another.

Merle had stopped them from lunging at one another. Betty's pride was obviously hurt from their previous encounter, she hated looking weak in another's eyes.

"I'm tellin' ya, wrestlin' is fake" Daryl argued, his eyes narrowed towards Betty.

"'N I'm tellin' ye that it ain't."

"WWE is fake" Daryl said, he rubbed at his eyes tiredly.

"Give up liddol brudder, she's ah stubborn one" Merle sighed, he had watched the pair argue for a good thirty minutes.

"Fine, ah give up" Daryl said, raising his hands.

"Thank ya"

"Still is fake" Daryl muttered while he retreated into his tent.

"Aint!" Betty called after him.

She felt Merle laugh beside him and she rolled her eyes. "Yer brothers tha devil" She said.

Merle shrugged against her, "Naw, he jus dunno how ta act 'round pretty girls"

Betty looked at Merle with a raised eyebrow, "Gunna write me a poem too Merle?" She mocked. She was surprised how comfortable she felt around Merle. They had been there four days and ever since the day in the quarry, she had loved Merle's company. He was nice...well as nice as Merle could be. Most of their conversation was utter bull shit, but it took Betty's mind off Shane and the other dramas in her life.

Betty and Merle stayed silent for a while, she continued to sit there as Merle drifted to sleep beside the fire. She even lounged beside the dying fires as Johnny, Scarlett and Valerie disappeared into their tents silently.

The fire was warm, its heat radiating to her face and causing her cheeks to flush from the warmth. She closed her eyes in comfort, unaware of someone approaching. She rolled her head to the side when she heard a crack, her eyebrows already fused together when she opened her eyes.

"Liz" A voice breathed.

Betty's mouth curled into a sneer and she pushed herself away.

"No don't!" Shane dropped to her height and held her leg in place.

"Let go of me" She hissed, she struggled against his hold and buckled away.

"Calm down Liz" He pressed, "Just let me talk" Shane was looking at her seriously.

Betty didn't know what captivated her to do it, but she paused and cocked her head to the side curiously. A faint smile appeared on Shane's face, she always use to cock her head to the side when she was curious.

"Look I don't know what happened between us-"

"Ah do. Ah came back from Juvi 'n ye wanted nuthin' ta do wit me. Ye 'n ma family kicked me ta tha curb 'n ah never heard from ya again" She intervened.

"You don't understand-"

"Save it" Betty interrupted loudly, causing Merle to stir. "Ah stopped caring a long time ago" She said. Shane looked at her for a moment and she turned her head away, "Just go" She said softly, her shoulders deflated slightly. Shane went to touch her shoulder but stopped himself quickly, he rose and quietly left.

Betty curled into herself and laid down on the ground, she sighed deeply and muffled a sniff. Unaware that Merle had been listening the entire time.

_#_

The next morning Betty walked casually down to the quarry, she was up earlier than normal and the sun had barely rose. The camp was bathed in red light, the heat already starting to pick up as early as it was. When she reached the quarry, she checked around quickly for any sign of humans.

Satisfied with her surveying, Betty peeled off her clothing, leaving just her bottom half on. She dived into the lake, the cold water creating goosebumps along her body. She soaped herself up, riveting in the feeling of being clean.

She cleaned her hair, allowing the thick dark brown hair to float around her as she laid on her back. She watched the sun rise while she floated, momentarily bathing in orange water and she closed her eyes as the sun hit her directly.

She dove back underwater, rinsing her hair once more before she slowly paddled her way back to shallow ground. She let her feet touch the edge and she waded forward, the hot air worsening her goose bumps and causing her to shiver.

She rose from the water, and wrung out her hair, allowing it to cascade down her back in wet locks.

Then she froze as she heard a thump.

Her head snapped up as her eyes set on a discarded cross bow, she glanced quickly to its owner and nearly shrieked loudly. Her hands fell to her chest as Daryl's eyes slowly traveled her body, he wasn't very discrete.

As if he just realised how unsubtle his actions were, Daryl shielded his eyes and picked his cross bow up.

"Um-" He stuttered, "Ah didn't thank anyone was out 'ere"

Betty rushed forward and covered herself entirely with a towel. She felt her cheeks reddened as Daryl made a lame excuse and scurried back into the bushes, his face beetroot red.


	6. Is That A Challenge?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Betty waited down by the water, slowly drying herself and pulling her clothes back on. Her cheeks were still warm as she clambered her way back to camp and discarded her towel in her tent.

"Mornin' sweet cheeks" Merle greeted, he was once again sitting by his fire.

"Hey Merle" She said, her eyes checked the tent. "Wheres Daryl?"

"Darlyina went out huntin', came back ta camp wit a face tha colour of salmon 'n disappeared off yonder. Where ye been?"

Betty felt her cheeks flush furiously, "Erm went out fer a swim" She admitted.

Merle didn't put the dots together, he looked at her blankly. He grunted in response and looked towards main camp, "Ye should probably head over there, Johnny been flailing his arms 'round like a squirrel on crack"

Betty followed his gaze and found a majority of the group crammed around in a circle. She nodded at Merle and walked calmly towards the group, her eyes focused on Valerie who shyly shifted her weight from one foot to another.

"Wha's goin' on?" Betty asked.

"We got a transmission through the radio, some guy heading to Atlanta" Valerie replied, her eyes were mixed with worry. Betty looked through the cluster of people around the radio and noticed a few bickering.

"Shane, we should put signs down on the highway. We should warn people!"

"No, we can't risk anyone going off by themselves" Shane argued and Betty rolled her eyes.

"You mean you don't want anymore people in this group" She commented snidely, earning a groan from Johnny.

Shane faced her with a serious frown, "What do ya mean?"

"Oh come on Shane, you've always been a selfish prick" Betty snapped.

"Language!" A woman cried and Betty faced her angrily. The woman back down and bit her lip, "Theres children around" She whimpered.

"Sorry" Betty mumbled and the woman scurried away.

Johnny pushed Shane away, telling him to forget it and talk to Lori in private. Betty watched him leave, she watched an exchange of body language between the pair and her eyes rolled again.

"Wha' tha hell are ye doin'?" Johnny asked. "Stop startin' fights"

Betty frowned, "Are ye honestly on his side?" She snapped.

"Ah agree people shouldn't be wanderin' off down ta tha highway. Who knows wha' creep is lurkin' down there" Johnny argued. Betty furrowed her eyebrows, she knew he was right but she wasn't going to admit it. "Since when do ye care 'bout other people?" He added with a smirk.

"Ah don't, ah jus' hate Shane" She retorted.

Johnny chuckled, "I'm sure tha guy will be alrigh', maybe he won't even make it there"

"Ye gotta be stupid ta go in there anyway. Ah mean half tha highways burnt 'nd that's tha exit half." Scarlett intervened.

"Ye do understand we were gunna go in there" Betty raised her eyebrows.

Scarlett remained silent and Betty waggled her eyebrows, "Did ah jus' silence tha legend Scarlett Bronson?" She laughed. Scarlett swatted her head playfully and shoved her to the side.

"I'm going down ta tha quarry-"

"Ta reflect on yer loss fer words?" Betty chortled.

Betty was met with a large rag onto her face, she made a loud 'oomph' sound and it was followed by a giggle. Johnny looked down at her with raised eyebrows, "Ye seem in a better mood than usual" He said.

Betty shrugged, "Thats 'cause her blood isn't drowning in alcohol" Valerie pitched in snidely. Betty narrowed her eyes at her and Johnny snorted.

"Seems 'bout righ' " He said.

Valerie shrugged at Betty and skipped her way to where Shane and Lori had disappeared.

"C'mon" Johnny said, shaking his head at Valerie.

"Where we goin'?" Betty asked curiously, while Johnny led her back to Merle.

"Well ah asked Daryl ta teach me how ta hunt 'n since Scarlett 'n Valerie definitely won't do it. Ah thought ye 'n me could" He suggested, a beam stretched his lips. Betty froze slightly, her eyebrows drawn together.

"Erm.." She thought back to Daryl seeing her exposed flesh and her cheeks burned.

"C'mon Betsy, dun' tell me ya goin' soft on me" He scoffed.

"Ah ain't soft" She argued.

"Then show me why we call ya 'Black Eye' Betty" Johnny said, raising his fists as if they were going to fight.

Betty chuckled and raised her fists as well. They faked sparring, laughs eliciting from their mouths while they playfully rolled around on the floor.

"Wha' tha fuck are ye two doin'?" Merle asked, he appeared out of his tent.

"Jus' fightin'" Stone admitted, her eyes set on Merle "Ye gettin' anxious trailer trash?"

She leapt to her feet and bounced around Merle with raised fists. He rolled his eyes and swiftly swept his leg into hers and she fell flat on her ass.

"Cheap shot!" She cried.

Merle's booming laugh echoed out and he shook his head, "Sweet thang, its gunna take a lot of strength ta take down ole champion Merle" He chortled. Betty rose from the ground, and sent Merle a challenging look.

"Imma make ye swallow yer words trailer boy" She threatened playfully.

"Naw ye ain't" Johnny intervened as he caught her mid-lunge. "We're goin' huntin'" He directed it at Merle.

Merle laughed loudly, "Good luck wit ma liddol brudder, he's ah impatient pansy" He muttered.

"We?" Another southern voice said.

Betty froze in Johnny's arms, she felt heat creep across her cheeks and she angled her head away from the voice.

"Yeah, me 'n Betty are comin' wit ya. If ye dun' mind? It would be better if Betty learnt as well, seeing as Valerie 'n Scarlett are pansies" Johnny explained. He was met with a grunt and a rustle of leaves.

"Ya'll better follow 'im. 'Cause he's on tha move" Merle advised.

Betty and Johnny gathered light weapons and raced after Daryl quickly. Merle's booming laughing echoing behind them. The ran through the woods, Johnny suddenly coming to a halt and Betty slamming into him. The pair toppled over and landed at Daryl's feet.

He sighed irritably and they rose quickly, his eyes flickered to their weapons. "Wha' ye gunna do? Throw a pick axe at a squirrel?" He asked, his eyes were full of scorn. His attention flickered towards Betty and she turned away, aware of how fast her cheeks were heating.

"Ye thank it'll work?" Johnny asked stupidly.

Betty swiped him over the head and he recoiled with pain.

_#_

Valerie walked calmly through the tents, her eyes searching for Shane among them. She could hear him talking to Lori, they were arguing over Carl's wellbeing and she wondered why Shane was so concerned.

She neared the tent she could hear the voices from, she grew quieter as she approached and she peaked through the tent flaps. Her eyes widened as she found Shane and Lori kissing passionately within the tent. Their bodies were pressed together and a small moan escaped Lori's mouth.

Valerie covered her mouth with shock and stepped back, envy flooding its way through her body as she turned and hurried away. Admittedly, Shane had never made any indication of wanting anything romantic with her. But she had hoped her shy advances had been obvious. Clearly not.

She scurried back to camp, disheartened and deflated. She went to go find Scarlett.

_#_

"That ain't how ye hold it"

Betty was parading around with the cross bow causing Johnny to bend over with laughter. Daryl yanked it from her arms and glared at her, his nostrils flaring "Do ye wanna learn or are ya jus' wastin' ma time?"

Betty stood still, her eyes not quite meeting him. "Ye gunna try?" He asked, almost as if he was scolding her. Betty nodded mutely and Daryl's attention turned to Johnny. "Go" He stated.

Johnny frowned and stood up straight, "Wha'?"

"Go! Ye two can't be serious 'round one 'nother, it's irritating" Daryl said, gesturing for Johnny to leave. "Besides, be a gentleman. Ladies first" Daryl mocked snidely. Betty uncomfortably watched Johnny walk away, she didn't really feel like standing next to someone who had seen more naked than any other person had. She tensed as Daryl passed her back the crossbow.

"Aim like this" He said, helping her lift the crossbow.

"Wha' is this? Sum cheesy '80s movie" She joked.

Daryl sighed loudly and led her through the woods silently.

Most of Daryl's lesson was silent, he would tell her what to do every now and then, and as he expected, her aim was terrible. The cross bow was terribly heavy for Betty's thinner arms, it made her slower in aiming and even slower in shooting.

By the time Daryl had lost all patience, she had only chipped a squirrel on the shoulder.

"Maybe it's 'cause I'm nervous" Betty suggested, looking back at Daryl.

"Nervous?" He scoffed.

"Well ye breathing down ma neck 'n it's putting me off" She complained.

Daryl rolled his eyes and walked off, "Fine, try without me" He said and disappeared into the bush.

Betty walked forward, "I will" She muttered and she found herself walking on a dirt track. Her body tensed as she heard the familiar groans not far down the track. She slowly raised the crossbow and aimed at the walker as it came closer. She pressed the trigger, its head in sight and the arrow shot out. She dropped the cross bow to her side and looked at the walker.

Instead of hitting its head, it hit the ground next to its feet. She cursed and looked down at the cross bow, no more arrows. She panicked, Daryl was off collecting the rest of the arrows. Her eyes shot up to the walker, it was coming forward and she inched back. She grabbed at her pick axe and cursed when she couldn't find it.

Daryl had confiscated those as well.

The walker was right in front of her, it pushed her and she fell back.

She heard a shuffling of footsteps and Daryl was right beside her, shoving a free arrow into the walkers head and shoving it to the ground. The walker groaned and Daryl shoved the arrow in his head once more causing it to die for good.

Betty sat on the ground, staring at the walker again with absolute shock. It was one thing to be hungover and not kill the walker in time, it was another thing to be completely sober and not kill it.

Her eyes drifted upwards and she made eye contact with Daryl, his eyes were full of scorn and irritation.

"Woulda helped if ya didn't miss" He scoffed.

"I was gunna git 'im" She stated. "'N if ye hadn't taken ma weapon, ah woulda killed it"

Daryl scoffed even louder and yanked the crossbow from her arms. He shook his head and recoiled from her, his shoulders tensed.

"Ye gunna be a gentleman 'n help me up?" Betty called after him.

Daryl turned back and scowled at her, "Git yerself up" He spat, rolling his eyes.

"Are ye not tha one who told Johnny ta have some gentlemen mannerisms?" Betty asked snidely, repeating his previous words.

Daryl narrowed his eyes and stormed back to her. He lifted her roughly from the ground and dropped his hand from her arm quickly. She smirked at him and he recoiled in disgust. He walked forward and she trailed behind him, even whistling just to annoy him.

"Ye gunna keep dawdlin' or are ya just wishin' fer _'nother_ geek ta get ya" Daryl looked at her with narrow eyes, he deliberately emphasised the word another.

"Ah told ye ah coulda got both of 'em. Buh warrior Darylina decides ta intervene" Betty argued. Daryl stepped forward furiously and looked down at her.

"Dun ye dare call me that" He said and then he smirked. "Besides ye can't aim fer shit. Ye probably can't even swing a bat properly"

"That sounds like a challenge" Betty questioned. Daryl raised his eyebrows and Betty narrowed hers, "Alright Dixon, I'll humour ya. Next time ye take us out huntin', if ah dun get a squirrel or whatever task ye set. I'll admit ta being wrong" She challenged.

Daryl shrugged, "Seems legit" He replied.

"Dun ye wanna know wha' ah get if ah win?"

"Naw, 'cause ye won't win. You're hopeless" Daryl answered brazenly.

"If ah win, ye can admit that ah am an excellent fighter 'n hunter" She said, ignoring his answer.

Daryl rolled his eyes, "'N ye can't set any hard tasks" She added.

He shook his head and nodded, "Fine"

Betty nodded to herself and moved forward, then she stopped.

"Did you enjoy the view?" She asked snidely.

Daryl froze and looked at her. "Ye do understand ye owe me fer that free glance, right?"

"Ah ain't tha one stupid 'nuff ta swim naked in tha first place" Daryl spat, he was obviously perplexed.

"Well ah ain't tha one starin' " Betty replied calmly.

That shut him up.


	7. Yer Goin' Huntin'

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Daryl couldn't get the image out of his mind. He had laid awake in his tent, listening to his brothers snores while rethinking of her. His mind couldn't stop replaying the way she stood in the water. Droplets of water stuck to her firm stomach while she wrung out her hair, her chest was small but was made up for by a thin tall frame.

Daryl cursed himself and stood up, he wasn't going to get himself hot and bothered while his brother slept next to him.

He made his way outside and paused when he heard a squeal. He crouched behind the tent and poked his head out, just spotting Betty running out of her tent with just a t-shirt and underwear on.

"Johnny, ya liddol shit" She hissed while shuddering in the open space. Daryl's eyes stayed on her barely there underwear.

Johnny came out of the tent and laughed heartily, he held a small object in his hand and dangled it in front of Betty's face. She shrieked and stumbled backwards, causing Johnny to laugh even more.

"Git up scaredy cat" Johnny remarked whilst throwing the object to the side.

Betty frowned up at him and pulled herself up, "Yer awful" She spat and stormed past Johnny back into the tent.

Daryl inwardly groaned as he looked down at himself,_ what a fucking joke_ he thought bitterly. Now was definitely not the time to get a hard-on. He stood up and dithered for a moment, before finally pushing into the bushes. He couldn't think of anything else but Betty's exposed flesh as he relieved himself in the dark.

He hoped Betty wasn't going to make a habit of walking around exposed, because he certainly couldn't do this every night.

_#_

"Fuck ye, did ya see that?"

Daryl looked to his side and scowled, Johnny had just nailed two squirrels in a row. He was now cheering around in a circle with joy.

"Good work, if ye wanna scare off all tha other critters" Daryl snapped.

Johnny silenced immediately and collected his kill, he passed the squirrels to Daryl and reloaded his crossbow.

"Betty told me about the incident yesterday" Johnny remarked as they crept through the woods. Daryl froze and looked to his side, his eyes narrowed while he waited for Johnny to continue. "Jus' wanted ta say, thanks"

"Thanks?" Daryl frowned, _for seeing your girlfriend naked?_

"Ye. Ya saved her from tha walker, did ya not?"

"Oh." Daryl realised, "S'alrigh'" He said awkwardly.

Johnny shrugged, "Betty's a bit off her game sum times, buh her missing a walker dun' happen too often." He explained, "It took me an hour ta convince her, she ain't weak" Daryl looked over at Johnny, wondering why he was telling him all this.

It must of showed on his face because Johnny stopped and looked at him.

"Wha' ah mean, is dun' underestimate her. She dun' take too kindly ta folks doubtin' her" He admitted, his eyes knowingly looked at Daryl.

"Ah didn't say anything ta her" Daryl argued, he frowned.

"Ya dun' 'ave to. Betty can read body language 'n it showed all over her face"

"She ain't ma problem"

"Naw she ain't, jus' watch yer mouth 'round her" Johnny warned, "We dun' call her 'Black Eye' Betty fer nuthin'"

"Black Eye Betty?" Daryl asked.

"Now thats a story I'll tell ya later" Johnny chuckled.

_#_

When Daryl and Johnny made their way back to camp, they had caught several squirrels. They walked to main camp and passed the meat over to the woman, a series of grateful thanks surrounded them.

Daryl disappeared back down to Merle quickly, he had never liked the camps company. He was mostly too embarrassed with his brothers actions and mannerisms to interact with the other members.

Johnny followed him back to their tents, where they found Merle just appearing out of the woods. His eyes were once again dilated and his appearance disheveled. Daryl shook his head irritably and took a seat by their already warming camp fire.

"Ye catch anything?"

Daryl turned his head to the side and his eyes found Betty. Due to the heat, she was wearing a pair of denim short shorts, a cropped t-shirt and a pair of chuck taylors. She was fanning herself and her eyes were directed at Johnny.

"Heaps"

Betty scowled and sat across from Daryl, "Then ah must be tha shittiest hunter alive" she complained. She crossed her legs, exposing more flesh to Daryl. He turned his attention away and clenched his jaw. Johnny took a seat beside Daryl and grinned cockily towards her. "Shut it" She snapped.

Silence surrounded them again and Daryl heard a shuffle of fabric.

"Where ye goin'?" Johnny asked.

Daryl looked over at Betty as she picked up her pick axe and swung it over her shoulder, "Goin' swimming" She announced, her eyes flickered over Daryl and she turned away quickly. "With clothes on" He heard her mutter.

"Well be safe" Johnny mumbled while Betty disappeared into the bushes, her footsteps echoing away.

_#_

Johnny left Daryl to his own devices, it was clear that the youngest Dixon brother wanted to be left alone. He made his way back to camp, avoiding Shane like a plague. His eyes set on Glen and Dale, he took a seat by the RV.

"I don't want anyone coming" Johnny heard Glen complain.

"Wha' ya talkin' 'bout?" He asked curiously.

Glen's head snapped up, "Erm-"

"Glens going to scavenge some stuff from the city and Shane said he has to bring some people along for protection" Dale explained, he was busily working on the RV's engine. Johnny looked at Glen.

"'N wha's wrong wit that?"

"I always go by myself, more people means more danger" Glen explained.

Johnny shrugged, "Ye can't be depended on fer everythang Glen"

"My point exactly" Dale agreed.

"I'll come wit ya" Johnny said and Glen opened his mouth to protest. Johnny waved his hand in dismissal, "Ah been on tha road longer than any of ya. I'm sure tha city ain't nuthin' compared to New Orleans. Christ ya shoulda seen tha Voodoo witches comin' back ta life" Johnny shuddered, "Ah ain't never settin' foot in New Orleans again" He swore.

"That bad?"

"Nuthin' could scare me more"

"Was it just you that was in New Orleans or the whole group?" Glen asked curiously.

"The whole group...why?"

Glen sighed a breath of relief, "Good, 'cause Scarlett's coming along too"

"She's what?" Johnny shouted. Glen quietened him quickly and glanced around the place.

"Merle too" He added with a shudder, it was obvious he didn't like Merle.

"Hell naw, she ain't coming. 'Scuse me" Johnny started towards his tent, "When ya leavin'?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Tomorrow morning"

_#_

Betty made her way back to camp, she had actually enjoyed her swim. Sofia, Carl and Lori had been down by the quarry and she had decided to play a few games with them and ended up spending hours down by the lake.

When she finally returned, she found Johnny and Scarlett involved in a heated argument.

"Wha's all this 'bout?" Betty questioned Merle, he had finally sobered up.

"Tha chinks doin' a scavenging expedition 'n yer boy Johnny 'n I are goin. Sugar tits is goin' too" Merle explained, he lounged against the log and grinned up at her. She furrowed her eyebrows and stormed over to Scarlett.

"Yer not going" She instructed heatedly.

Scarlett scowled at her, "Yes I am!" She said. "I'm sick of ye two baby sitting me. Ah ain't Valerie 'n ah can handle maself"

Betty shook her head, "No Scarlett, ye never went into town so why now?"

"Ah wanna contribute" Scarlett cried, "I'm sick of ye 'n Johnny riskin' yer lives fer us"

"It's too dangerous" Johnny said.

Scarlett's face contorted with anger, "All yer two ever do is put yerself in danger. Every time Valerie 'n ah begged fer ye ta stay, ya ignored us and went out anyway. It's ma turn now 'n ye two can't stop me" She said loudly, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Let me go instead" Betty begged.

"No" Scarlett said calmly. Her voice held finality and she marched away.

Betty looked up at Johnny expectantly, "Ye can't be serious?" She said incredulously, Johnny's face held acceptance.

"She's gotta learn sum time" He admitted.

"Well ah'll go fer ye 'n look out fer her" She offered. He shook his head and Betty sighed, her eyes casted downwards and she went and rejoined Merle.

"Ye can't go anyway" Merle explained, having overheard the whole conversation.

Betty cocked her head to the side questionably. "Ye 'ave that bet wit Daryl 'member? He's takin ye huntin' tomorrow"


	8. Out Huntin'

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

The next morning, Betty anxiously stood outside her tent with Valerie. She had never been in the position to watch Johnny leave without her, she had always been his partner and it flooded her with anxiety to watch him pack to leave.

"Relax Betsy" He said softly, he shouldered a bag and joined her. "I'll be alrigh'"

"Dun' worry sweet thang, ole Merle will take care of 'im" Merle reassured, he stood next to Johnny and gazed down at her.

"Wha' are ye even goin' in fer?" Johnny asked curiously.

"Sum more meds, who knows when I'll find tha next pharmacy" He grunted.

Betty looked over at the gathering expedition group and her stomach clenched. She unexpectedly outstretched her arms and hugged Merle, "Keep an eye on 'em fer me Merle" She mumbled as he awkwardly hugged her back.

"Hon, if ya wanted a piece of ole-"

"Shut up" She snapped and recoiled from the hug. "Promise me ye-"

"Ah'll bring 'em back in one piece" Merle finalised.

Betty turned to Johnny and squeezed his shoulder, "Look out fer Scarlett 'n Merle" She ordered.

Johnny rolled his eyes, "Yer acting like we're goin' ta war" He chortled, "Dun worry, we'll be in 'n out" He promised.

Betty worriedly watched Scarlett, Johnny and Merle make their way up to the campsite and follow the rest of the expedition members into a car. Valerie chewed her lip anxiously beside her, "Something doesn't feel right" She whispered.

Betty turned her head to the side and observed Valerie, "Whatcha mean?" She asked.

Valerie looked up at Betty, "I don't know. Something just feels off, I feel weird" Valerie mumbled fearfully. Betty outstretched a arm and squeezed Valerie's shoulder gently.

"Do ye want me ta stay wit ya, till they come back?" Betty offered.

Valerie shook her head, "No, it's okay. Aren't you hunting with Daryl today?"

"Shit!" Betty cursed, "Totally forgot 'bout that"

She rushed into her tent and quickly changed from her pyjamas, she pulled on a pair of shorts and a thin t-shirt. She made her way outside and looked at Valerie seriously, "Ye sure ya dun want me ta stay?" She mumbled. Valerie smiled and shook her head, ushering her away.

"I'll be down at the quarry washing clothes" Valerie assured, she held up a basket of their dirty clothes.

"Ha! And hunting doesn't look so bad suddenly" Betty mumbled. She gave Valerie a quick smile and she went in search of Daryl. He wasn't in his tent or at main camp, so Betty walked into the woods calmly. She kept her eyes peeled while she walked through the woods, she hummed a song quietly. She felt momentarily sad, the same song she hummed was the song her mother and grandmother use to sing to her and her older brother.

She shook her head vigurously, willing herself to forget stupid memories.

"Ye keep doin' that 'n ye'll loose brain cells" A voice snorted.

Betty jumped with surprise and turned quickly, a slight heat creeping across her cheeks. "Well ye'd know all 'bout that Dixon" She retorted, wiping the smirk off Daryl's face quickly. Betty in return grinned cheekily to herself.

Daryl scowled at her and passed his crossbow to her roughly, "Ah been trackin' sum type of mammal for a bit, its not far from here" He stated while pulling out a sharp knife. He led her through the trees quietly, his eyes glued to the ground while Betty surveyed the area.

"How'd ye learn ta hunt?" She asked curiously.

"Gotta eat dun ah?" He muttered.

Betty nodded and followed after him.

_#_

"_What don't you come on over Valerie_" Amy sung childishly.

"_Valerie_!" The other women chorused.

Valerie felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment and she ducked her head down. The women giggled around her as Amy patted her back softly. Their attention was soon averted from her and turned to the other side of the quarry, where Shane was playing wildly with Carl in the lake. He was splashing about, shouting for Carl to catch frogs.

"Does anyone notice a certain gender role?" Jacqui asked, her eyebrows were drawn together.

"Didn't you hear? An apocalypse happened" Amy quipped, earning a toothy grin from Valerie.

"Why do the men get to have all the fun while the women clean up after them?" Jacqui sighed.

"Its just the way it is" Carol said meekly, her eyes traveled back to Ed. He was smoking and leaning against the car that had brought them down there. Valerie followed her gaze and shuddered slightly at the sight of Ed, he definitely raised her hair. His beatings did not go unnoticed between the group.

The group soon returned to silence, the only sound was the washing of clothes.

Finally Valerie summoned up enough courage to ask about Shane, "Are Shane and Lori an item?" She asked quietly. Amy looked up quickly followed by the other women.

"No, why?" Amy asked.

"Well they just seem quite close, thats all" Valerie said, deciding not to tell them about the tent incident.

"They're just friends" Amy explained, "Shane was friends with them before the apocalypse and when it all happened, Lori's husband was in hospital and died. So Shane brought them here for safety reasons"

Valerie furrowed her eyebrows, "Was her husband friends with Shane?" She asked curiously.

"Friends? More like best friends" Amy snorted.

"Did they ever give you a name?" Valerie asked, her voice trembled in hopes that it wasn't who she was expecting. This earned weird looks from the women as they exchanged subtle glances.

"His name was Rick Grimes." Jacqui said softly "Why? You know him?"

"Oh god" Valerie whispered.

_#_

Betty crept forward, her eyes narrowed with concentration and the crossbow clasped tightly in her hands. Daryl was right beside her, waiting patiently as she lifted his crossbow and aimed directly at the deer they had been tracking for hours.

Daryl had given her tips while they tracked and she was finally putting them into practice. She took a deep breath and relaxed, her finger pulled the trigger back and the bolts released an arrow. The arrow sped through the air and landed in the deer's hip, causing a pained squeal from the mammal.

Betty grinned triumphantly at Daryl, waggling her eyebrows as well. "Prepare ta tell me how fabulous ah am Dixon" She chortled. Daryl rolled his eyes and he focused on the deer, a sneaky smile also travelling across his face.

"Ah wouldn't be so sure" He warned, inclining his head towards the deer.

Betty followed his gaze and cursed, the deer had taken off down the track with an arrow sticking out of its side. Daryl rose quickly and Betty followed after him, they rushed after the deer quietly, following it down the dirt track while it limped not far ahead.

"Shoot it again" Daryl hissed, pushing her forward while she raised the crossbow.

She aimed quickly, releasing another arrow into the deer's side. Once again, the deer rushed off with Daryl and Betty chasing after it.

They followed the deer on a crazy chase, it led them further away from camp than they had expected and yet they still hadn't run into any walkers. Daryl led her along, carrying the crossbow for her while she rested her arms. They didn't speak at all, both enthralled in getting the deer for dinner that night. As they tracked the deer, Daryl shot down a few squirrels in case they didn't get the deer.

It started to rain while they tracked, causing Daryl to curse loudly and follow the tracks quicker. They found the deer resting by a small creek and Daryl passed the crossbow back to her. The rain made Betty squint while she aimed down the deer, her body relaxed and her breaths deepened. She released another arrow and it catapulted into the deers side.

The deer ran off again, veering off deeper into the woods.

"This is like a damn game of cat 'n mouse" Betty complained angrily.

Daryl shrugged, "Never said huntin' was easy"

"That's fer sure"

"We might 'ave ta stay out later than ah thought" He mused.

Betty looked to Daryl and frowned, "Why?"

"Ain't it obvious? We gotta slow down 'n take it easy. The deer ain't gunna live much longer 'n we're wastin' energy rushing around afta it" He explained. Betty nodded and they followed after the deer calmly.

_#_

The sun had fallen not long ago, Valerie sat with Johnny in her tent and her cries did not go unheard by the group. She sobbed recklessly into Johnny's chest, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she snivelled.

"What are we gonna tell Betty?" Valerie wept, her eyes stung painfully while Johnny rubbed her back.

"Ah dunno" He whispered.

He couldn't comprehend what had happened in Atlanta, he didn't want to believe it all and it all seemed a bad nightmare. Valerie's cries were the only thing that showed him it was reality, that and the bastard back at main camp.

"Why aren't they back yet?" Valerie sobbed worriedly. Betty and Daryl still hadn't arrived back at camp, the tents still untouched.

"Dale said that Daryl could be out fer days at a time. Dun worry, he'll take care of Betty"' Johnny reassured.

"I'm not worried about their safety Johnny" Valerie mumbled, "I'm worried about when they get back"

Johnny winced at the thought, "I know"

"Stay with me tonight Johnny. I get nightmares without someone in the tent" Valerie pleaded.

"I wasn't going back to my tent anyway" He replied and he slid down on the bed. Valerie curled up beside him, her cries soon fading out as she slipped into sleep.


	9. New Arrival

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

The sun had risen and Daryl had awoken from his position against the tree. He glanced to his side and found Betty sleeping against his shoulder tiredly. They had been tracking all through the night and had decided to 'rest' their eyes for a moment.

He glanced up through the trees, the sun was shining brightly down on them and was drying their clothes quite quickly. It had drizzled that night, causing them to shiver and sleep in damp clothes. He looked down at Betty again, her clothes were still wet and stuck to her in a pleasing matter. Daryl shook his head and stood up quickly, waking her up roughly with shakes.

She shot up quickly, her eyes alert and searching. When she rested her eyes on Daryl, she rolled them and stretched. "'ave we lost the deer?" She asked after yawning tiredly. Daryl stopped his eyes from traveling down her body. He looked down at the tracks and frowned, turning in the opposite direction.

"Naw, looks like its headin' back" He mumbled, lifting his cross bow and shouldering it.

He started back towards camp, blessing the deer for being stupid enough to return the way they came. They traveled down slopes and through small creeks, the deers tracks just ahead of them.

"Ah swear ta God, when we git tha deer imma slice it up so bad" Betty threatened.

Daryl smirked slightly and looked over his shoulder at her, her head was lowered and she was scuffing her feet along the dirt track. "Ye thank they're back now?" He asked, gesturing vaguely towards the camps direction.

"Yeah probably. It was only a day trip" Betty muttered.

They were once again enveloped in silence, walking quietly alongside one another. Every now and then Daryl would stop and shoot down a few more squirrels while Betty waited patiently beside him.

She wondered if Johnny and Scarlett were safe, even Merle as well. She couldn't help thinking about what Valerie said the day before, she had felt something wrong. What could that mean? She mulled over her thoughts, not noticing Daryl stopping quickly.

Betty slammed into his back and groaned in pain, she rubbed her face sorely.

"Wha' ye stop fer?" She snapped.

Daryl looked down at her and scowled at her tone, "Tha deer ran straight into our camp" He said triumphantly.

"Well thats convient" Betty exclaimed and she walked past Daryl through a dense bush. Daryl followed after her, and they slowly made their way around a large rock. Once they reached a clearing, they stopped in surprise.

Shane, Dale, Glen and Jim were standing around their deer with raised weapons. Shane made a small noise of relief and lowered his gun from them, Betty's eyes flickered past him to the deer.

"Oh shit!" She cursed, coming closer and looking at the gnawed deer.

"That's our deer" Daryl complained. He looked at the walker that the men had just killed. "Son of a bitch. Look at it. All gnawed on by this... filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!" Daryl started kicking the walker angrily and Betty felt he had a good reason to.

"Calm down son" Dale intervened.

"Wha' ye gonna do 'bout it old man? Why dun ye jus' go back to on Golden Pond" Daryl spat angrily.

"Ye thank we can cut around this chewed up piece?" Betty asked, pointing down at the deer.

"Naw, we can't risk it" Shane pitched in.

"Thats a darn shame" Daryl murmured, "Ah was gunna cook us up some venison"

"At least we got sum squirrel" Betty added, she sighed while she pulled the arrows from the deer. "Piece of shit" She huffed and kicked the deer to the side.

"C'mon" Daryl gestured for her to follow. Betty trailed after him angrily, they had worked so hard trying to get that damn deer and now there was no point. "Merle!" Daryl called out, "Git ya fat ass out here. Got us some squirrel, lets stew 'em up" He shouted.

Betty looked over his shoulder, her eyes meeting Johnny and Valerie's. Relief surged through her, now where was Merle and Scarlett?

"Daryl, hold up for a bit" Shane called, "You too Liz"

Betty was too tired to argue with Shane, she and Daryl turned with frowns on their faces. Betty studied his face curiously, she felt her heart slow down slightly and her eyes narrowed. "It's about Merle and Scarlett" Shane said slowly.

Betty suddenly became aware of the whole group watching them.

"There was a problem in Atlanta" Shane continued.

"They dead?" Betty asked, her voice trembled and she could feel Daryl tensing angrily.

"Not sure"

"They either are or they ain't" Daryl snapped.

"Theres no easy way to say this, so I'll just say this"

Betty was facing the ground, her stomach clenched at the thought of Scarlett being dead and Merle too.

"Who tha hell are ye?" Daryl snapped, bringing Betty's attention back to the conversation.

"Rick Grimes"

Betty's head snapped up, her eyes connected with the man's and her mouth fell agape. Rick's eyes were still focused on Daryl, having not registered Betty's presence. "Rick Grimes?" Daryl mocked, "Ye got sumthin' ye wanna tell me?"

"Your brother was a danger to our group, so I handcuffed him to a roof, hooked to a piece of metal. He's still there" Rick explained. Betty felt her veins course with extreme anger, her eyes narrowed dangerously and she stepped forward. Aware of the knife in her pocket.

"And wha' 'bout Scarlett?" She hissed.

Rick's eyes shifted to her and he froze, his eyes widened and he tensed with surprise. "Liz" He whispered, moving forward to her. Betty recoiled backwards and she moved towards Daryl.

"Wha' 'bout Scarlett?" She repeated angrily.

"She stayed up there with Merle" He explained, his arms outstretched as he tried to get to her.

"Lemme process this" Daryl started, "Ye handcuffed my brudder ta a roof, let Scarlett stay up there and left them there!" He shouted.

"Yeah" Rick murmured, realising that Betty didn't want to hug him.

Betty watched as Daryl threw the squirrels at Rick and charged forward. Shane swept in from the side and tackled Daryl to the ground. Betty took this as her turn to rush forward and tackle Shane to the ground, she brought down her fist angrily and let out years of pent up anger on her old friend.

She was pulled off him abruptly, her arms being held behind her back as she was pressed against the ground. She struggled against the grips, her arms beginning to feel sore while she shouted out profanities. She could hear Valerie crying and she looked up to see Lori comforting her softly.

"Git off me!" Betty shouted.

"Not until ye calmed down" Johnny murmured.

"How could ye leave her there?" Betty hissed, her anger now directed towards him. "How could ye leave our best friend ta die?"

"Ah didn't know, ah went out ta git us a car. Ah distracted tha walkers 'n ah thought she'd be in tha truck wit Rick" Johnny pleaded for her understanding, Betty struggled some more. She put all her strength into pushing Johnny off her, and when he was off she rose angrily.

"Ta hell wit all ya'll" Daryl shouted not far from her.

Betty kicked at the ground and walked off, her hands shoved into her short pockets.

"Betty" Johnny called out, his voice almost like a whimpering child's.

She ignored it, she was far too angry to communicate. She made her way back to her tent, her eyes stung when she looked at Scarlett and Merle's tent. Lowering her head sadly, Betty walked off into the woods, her eyes set on the quarry.

When she got down there, she sat with her legs dangling in the water. She let out a long sigh and her shoulder deflated, she could hear a shuffling of feet and she turned her head. Daryl had stormed angrily down to the quarry with her, his used arrows jumbled in his hands. When he spotted Betty, he exchanged a knowing look with her and came closer.

"That Rick Grimes is an asshole" He stated angrily.

"He's always been one" She agreed.

Daryl cocked his head to the side while he cleaned his arrows, "Ye know him 'fore tha breakout?" He asked curiously.

"He's ma brother"

_#_

Rick couldn't believe his luck. His wife, his child, his best friend and his little sister were all alive. He thought finding Elizabeth's close friends, Scarlett and Johnny was a blessing and now finding her was complete shock.

The only problem being; she hated him.

He supposed he shouldn't of been surprised, he hadn't seen her in almost fifteen years and there was no way he was going to make up for that amount of lost time. Rick sighed and looked over at Johnny. He was miserably still sitting on the ground, looking at where Elizabeth had disappeared.

Rick walked over to him cautiously, crouching down to face him.

"Hi Johnny" He said quietly.

Johnny faced him and scowled half-heartedly. "She hates me" Johnny sighed, he rubbed his face tiredly.

"I know the feeling" Rick joked.

Johnny scoffed, "Not that much" He looked at Rick, "She's right. Why did ah jus' leave Scarlett up there"

Rick shrugged, "Like I told Daryl, we're going back in this afternoon. No doubt they're still up there on that roof" Rick reassured.

"I'll go tell her" Johnny murmured.

"No, I'll go tell her" Rick offered.

Johnny pulled a face of disbelief, "Yeah, like ye could git within a few metres of her without her pullin' a knife on ya"

_#_

"Hey Daryl, ye thank ye could give me 'n Betty sum alone time" Johnny asked quietly.

A scowl meshed Betty's eyebrows together and she glared up at Johnny, Daryl obligingly left without a word, his arrows stuffed into his back pocket. Betty turned her attention away from Johnny and stared out onto the quarry.

"Ye 'ave every reason ta be angry with me" Johnny reasoned while he sat beside her hesitantly.

"Oh ah am" Betty hissed.

"Ah jus' want ye ta know that ah can't control Scar. Glen told me she stayed up there wit Merle, wouldn't leave him" Johnny looked at her with pleading eyes, he had never been able to handle Betty's silent treatment.

"So why did ye leave 'em?" Betty snapped, she looked over at him seriously.

"Like ah said earlier, ah went out with Rick ta distract all tha walkers outside tha shop-"

"That tha asshole had attracted" Betty muttered.

"Yeah, so I drove a car past 'em wit tha alarms on 'n they chased afta me. Ah didn't know T-Dog would drop tha key 'n that Scarlett was up there" Johnny explained, he looked at Betty's face and outstretched his hand. "Please believe me"

Betty pushed his hand away angrily, "Please forgive me Betty" He pleaded, "Ah-"

"Save it!" She snapped. "Ah'll forgive ye when we find 'em"

Johnny looked at her as she rose and started back towards camp. "Wha' ye gunna do Betty?" He called out to her.

"Give those pricks a piece of ma mind" She snarled.

Johnny cursed and raced after her.


	10. Rescue: Part 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

"Betty don't!" Johnny warned.

Rick turned in time as Betty's fist swung into his right cheek. He let out an 'oomph' sound and staggered to the side, not missing the sly smirk he received from Daryl. He clenched his jaw as he straightened up and stared down at his sister.

She raised her fist again, taking another swing. Shane intervened and grabbed her wrist tightly, securing it behind her back while her face contorted with pure loathing. She arched her back out, giving her enough space to kick her leg up behind her and hit Shane between his legs.

It was Shane's turn to stumble to the ground, his hands clasped over his crotch while he groaned in pain. A sadistic smile formed on Betty's lips and she eyed Rick challengingly. He raised his hands as a sign of surrender and cocked his head to the side questionably. Betty stepped forward threateningly, she was ready to swing her fist out again when a small body stepped between the two.

"Betty stop!" A voice said quietly, small hands pushed her back slightly.

Betty looked down silently, her eyes fixing on Carl and she nodded, allowing herself to be pushed away from Rick. She had come to like the kid, even though he didn't listen to his mother, he liked him regardless. Rick however was totally perplexed by her calming down, he ushered Carl to his side quickly.

"Rick? Carl?" A voice called out.

Betty looked over Rick's shoulder and saw Lori come into sight, a relieved look flooded her features and she scrambled towards Rick.

"What's going on here?" Lori asked cautiously, her eyes flickered around them.

Betty followed her gaze, only just realising the group had witnessed everything.

"Dad?" Carl questioned.

Betty's head snapped back to Rick, her eyes met his finally before he casted his to the floor. She felt her stomach clench in anger and betrayal, she bit the inside of her cheeks to stop from screaming his head off.

"Yeah, wha' is goin' on here?" Betty said through gritted teeth.

Rick met her eyes, he stepped forward "Liz..." He started.

"No!" She shouted, "Dun _Liz_ me. Ma name is Betty 'n ye dun 'ave tha right ta talk ta me" Her eyes traveled over Lori and Carl. Why hadn't she seen this before? Carl looked so similar to Rick, it was all in Carl's eyes and his playful attitude. She wondered if Carl would turn out like his jack-ass father. She also wondered if Rick knew his wife was banging his beloved best friend? This caused her to feel slightly smug.

"Ah ain't seen ye in fifteen years 'n now ye wanna play family?" She scoffed angrily, she looked at Lori who questionably glanced between the pair. "Ye ain't even told ya wife 'bout me" She shook her head, willing the slight heartache away. She directed her anger towards Lori now. "Ah 'spose ah shouldn't be surprised" she muttered.

"Guess wha' Lori" She snapped.

Lori hesitated, fearfully looking at Betty now.

"Go on guess" Betty pressed.

"What?" Lori whispered timidly.

"I'm yer sister-in-law" She hissed.

Lori gasped with surprise and her hand clenched Carl's shoulder tensely. Her eyes focused on Rick with confusion, a hint of betrayal behind her orbs. "Rick?" She questioned. She was met with a stoney silent facade and her hand flew up to her mouth with surprise.

"Now that ye liddol secret is out Rick, mind tellin' me why ya never told me ya had a kid or a wife?" Betty snapped.

"Liz please-" Shane interrupted.

"Shut it" She directed at Shane angrily. She turned to Rick and cocked her head to the side, "Wanna tell me Rick? Wanna tell yer sister that did everything for ye, why ye didn't tell me or at least send a message?" She asked bitterly. "Did ya enjoy cutting me out?"

Rick looked at her seriously, "Liz- Betty. I didn't cut you out. You left, you never came back home. When you were released in January, you never came back" Rick said quietly.

"I was released in April" She hissed through gritted teeth, "'N if yer were so concerned, why didn't ya look fer me?"

Rick hung his head in slight shame, "Ah'll tell ye why Rick, 'cause ye've always been embarrassed 'bout me. Mum 'n dad were, 'n ye were stupid 'nough ta be brain washed by their high society bull shit" She explained sharply. Rick averted his eyes from her and Betty's mouth twisted into a sneer.

"Dun worry Rick, ah won't be yer burden much longer. Once we git Scarlett 'n Merle, Johnny, Valerie 'n ah are outta here" Betty glowered at Rick and spat at his feet before turning on her heel and marching towards the truck he had arrived in. She clenched her hands tightly and lent against the truck, deciding to slow her breathing with old Juvi methods. She closed her eyes tightly and willed the boiling anger to cool in her stomach.

"Well ye certainly know how ta make a scene"

Betty's eyes flew open and she looked up to find Daryl standing before her. "It's wha' ah do best" She muttered sarcastically. Daryl shrugged and lent against the truck, his eyebrows were drawn together while he watched Rick and T-Dog talk to Dale.

"Wha's takin' 'em so long?" Betty snapped, she pushed herself off the trucks side.

"Rick is talking to Dale. Trying to borrow some of his tools" Glen explained as he hopped into the truck.

Daryl walked around the truck and pulled open the back door, he ushered Betty in and raced forward to Glen. He shoved his foot into the truck wheel, eliciting a loud beep from the horn.

"C'mon lets go" He shouted angrily, his cool patience wearing off.

Rick, T-Dog and Johnny rushed over to the truck, they hopped in obediently and the truck set off.

_#_

Betty swung herself off the truck, she remained a safe distance from Rick because she knew she would knock him out if she got closer. Johnny made sure she kept a distance as well, he left her with Daryl and accompanied Rick reluctantly at the front.

"Glen, should we get the bag or them first?" Rick asked quietly as they made their way through a fence.

"Git 'em first, why we even discussing this?" Daryl snapped angrily.

"We're discussing this because Glen knows his way, and the bag might be closer" Rick retorted swiftly.

Daryl pulled a face and Betty silently glowered in Rick's direction.

"We'll get them first" Glen said, his eyes flickered nervously towards Betty and Daryl.

Betty triumphantly smiled and followed after Rick, Johnny and Glen with Daryl by her side. She had come to like Daryl despite his snide attitude.

The group of five made their way carefully through the city, their eyes set on the building that Scarlett and Merle were left on. Betty's pulses practically leapt with anxiety, she hoped they were alright and they didn't get sunstroke. The last thing the group needed was to take care of two sick people. They sped through the building, taking out stragglers in the bottom floor and working their way up the stairs.

When they reached the top, T-Dog broke the thick chain around the door and relief swarmed through Betty. Daryl pushed past the group, Betty straight after them and all relief dropped from her. She frowned when she found an empty roof, her eyes surveyed the area and she frowned.

It was Daryl's cries of 'No' that brought her attention to the still in tack cuffs on the pipe. Her eyes flickered over the puddles of blood beneath it and-

Her hands flew to her mouth, "Oh God" She gasped as she spotted Merle's hand swinging from the cuff. Daryl kicked furiously at the pipe, his eyebrows were drawn together and his eyes clenched shut. "NO!" He shouted, causing the group to cringe from the noise.

He furiously whipped around, his eyes set on T-Dog as he lifted his crossbow and kicked T-Dog back into the wall. He aimed it high and straight into the man's face, all anger evident on his attractive face. Betty shook her head and stepped back, now was not the time to find someone attractive especially when your best friend was missing.

She moved herself away from the conflict in the corner, she crept closer to Merle's hand and she studied the area. There was no remains of walker or any struggle, that relieved her slightly. But her eyes fell on a thin brown cord next to the blood. She grabbed it quickly and inspected it, a small whimper escaped her lips before she could stop it.

It was Scarlett's bracelet, Betty had personally made it for her when the pair were just ten-years-old. It had been her promise to Scarlett to keep her safe no matter what, and now she was missing and her bracelet left behind. Anger flooded through her veins, she turned sharply and smacked Johnny across the face. He groaned in pain and held his cheek firmly, he glared towards her.

"Wha' was that fer?" He snapped.

"Fer lettin' her come wit ya" She bitterly replied, she swung her hand back and hit him on the other cheek just as hard, "'N thats fer not turnin' 'round as soon as yer heard she was stuck 'ere" She added furiously. She turned her head to the side and started towards Rick, his gun was raised at the back of Daryl's head and he was muttering.

Betty pushed his arm to the side and gave him a swift smack to the face as well. Rick staggered back, his hand clutching his already bruised cheek "What was that for Liz?" He snapped, no longer patient with his sister violent actions.

"Fer leavin' ma family on tha roof 'n fer cuffin' Merle" She snapped.

"Why do you even care about Merle, that man was trouble" Rick retorted, he cringed slightly at her stronger southern accent.

"Well he did a shit load more fer me than ya ever did" She replied. She didn't miss the hurt that flickered through Rick's eyes, he came forward and Betty recoiled.

"They can't of gone far" Glen added from behind her.

Betty nodded and crossed the roof to another door that was wide open, it wouldn't be hard to find them. Merle had left a trail of blood for them imprinted with Scarlett's footprints.

_#_

Valerie numbly sat outside the RV, her head in her hands while she listened to Lori sob her woes to Dale. The thoughts raced through her mind, what if both Johnny and Betty didn't come back? What would she do then? She sighed to herself and buried her face further into her hands, Lori was really starting to aggravate her now.

"Why did he lie to me Dale?" She whimpered.

Valerie gritted her teeth, her mouth quirked, ready to snap. She restrained herself, considering maybe the only reason Lori aggravated her was because she kissed Shane, and most likely did other things with him.

"Maybe he felt ashamed" Dale replied.

Valerie balled her hands into fists, she turned immediately and glowered towards Dale. "Rick has nothing to be ashamed of. His sister saved me and helped me get through my parents death. He's just a mean bastard" She snapped angrily. Surprised by her own actions, Valerie embarrassedly rose from her seat and scurried into the woods with a pink face. She had never raised her voice to someone, let alone a kind hearted person like Dale.

She chewed her lip anxiously and pushed further into the woods.

Then she was grabbed from the side. She let out a small shriek and turned around, she relaxed when she found Shane beside her with a slight smile. Her eyes traveled down the arm that grabbed her, resting on his freshly bruised knuckles and scraped skin. She raised her eyebrow questionably and looked back up at him.

"Letting off steam girl?" He asked coyly.

Valerie nodded mutely and Shane's lips crept into a smirk.

"Me too" He murmured.

Valerie watched as he stepped closer, he lent in and looked at her keenly.

"Wanna let off some steam?" He asked her, his breath tickled her face.

Valerie chewed on her lip, _what am I doing?_ she asked herself as she nodded shyly.

_#_

"Tough son-of-a-bitch ma brudder" Daryl stated proudly while he stared at the stove.

Betty lent forward and grabbed at a stray piece of fabric, she frowned at it. "Guess Scarlett ripped up sum of her shirt" She mumbled, her eyes drifted back to Johnny. He had clenched his jaw and his fists, he turned away and walked towards the windows overlooking the streets.

"So wha' do we do now?" He asked quietly.

"Go afta 'em" Daryl said, as if it was the most obvious thing.

"We can't!" Rick intervened.

"Why not?" Betty asked.

"It's dangerous out there, besides we need to get to that bag" Rick explained, "And we're not going to be any use to Merle without those guns" He added for good measure.

Betty sucked in her lower lip, her eyes shifted around the group and she sighed. She definitely didn't want to agree with her estranged brother but if she wanted to find Scarlett, she was going to have to agree. With a defeated sigh and a glare, Betty nodded her head.


	11. Rescue: Part 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Glen thrusted two rubbers and a pencil onto the floor, he had drawn a mini blueprint of the city and was advising the group. Betty was assigned with Johnny, T-Dog and Rick, and Glen and Daryl. This way if Glen was cut off he had two escaped routes. Despite the groups worries that the plan wasn't proper, Glen pressed on and gave important information on the plan. When the group was on board and all agreed that the plan was much better they started preparing.

"Hey kid," Daryl looked at him genuinely curious. "What'd ya do 'fore all this?"

"Delivered pizzas," Glenn answered. Then his eyebrows drew together, "Why?" Daryl didn't answer, he nodded silently with admirable expression.

The group followed Glen from the rooftops down the emergency fire escape into the alleys. There were several walkers outside the front of the building again. Betty jumped onto the later, she released her hands and placed them along the side as she slid down the ladder effortlessly, eliciting a gasp from Glen. Her mouth turned into a smile as she winked up at the younger man, Glen wasn't the only street smart person. Johnny followed afterwards with Glen right behind him.

Stupidly, Glen tried to copy Betty and ended up on a heap on top of Johnny earning a aggravated grunt.

Betty clasped her hands over her mouth, suppressing the laughter that was begging to be let out. Nothing humoured Betty more than watching people make a fool of themselves. Glen reacted with a swift glare in her direction, he brushed off his pants and came to a stand beside her.

"If you so much as laugh, I'll tell everyone about you checking out Daryl" Glen threatened quietly.

Betty willed down the laughter, "Ah dunno wha' yer talkin' 'bout" She muttered.

"I saw you checking him out on the roof" Glen elaborated.

Betty sobered up quickly and faced Glen, "Ye wouldn't" she cried.

Glen grinned widely at her, "Well don't laugh at me falling" He retorted smugly.

Betty's eyes narrowed and she came closer to Glen, "If ye so much as tell anyone-"

"Tell anyone wha'?"

Betty turned her head to the side quickly, very aware of Glen suppressing laughter into his hands. Her eyes found Daryl's and she scowled, "Nuthin'!" She snapped, her hand automatically outstretching to slap Glen over the head. Glen groaned with pain and rubbed his head sorely.

"Women" Daryl muttered and he sidestepped to let Rick and T-Dog down.

"Alright, let's go" Rick ordered as his feet reached the floor.

Johnny pulled her to the alleyway they were suppose to be watching, weapons clenched tightly in their hands whilst they quickened their pace together. They hid behind a large dumpster each, one person checked one side of the alleyway and the other checked the other side. They were enveloped in silence before Johnny started up again.

"Look..."

"Ah know Johnny. Ah'm jus' frustrated, t'all" She interrupted.

Johnny let out a small breath of relief, "Ah hate it when ye dun talk ta me" He murmured.

Betty smiled warmly up at him, "Ah dun blame ye fer being angry though" He added, "Yer asshole of a brother came back, Scarlett 'n Merle are missing 'n yer deer got bit" Johnny mused. Betty almost broke out into loud laughter. She covered her mouth and stifled her laughter. She was met with a confused look from Johnny.

She shrugged, "Outta all ma problems, tha deer is tha least of 'em" She chortled. Johnny grinned at her and lent against the wall. Betty inspected his face and she knew there was something else on his mind. She rolled her eyes and cocked her head to the side, "Wha' is it?" She asked.

Johnny frowned at her, feigning confusion.

"Dun gimme that crap Johnny boy. Ah've know ye all ma life" She said.

Johnny's shoulders fell slightly, "Wha's going on wit ye 'n Dixon?" He asked curiously, a big brother mode switching on.

Betty rolled her eyes again, ignoring his serious look. "Nuthin'" She answered truthfully. There was absolutely nothing going on between the two, only that she thought he was attractive or a bit more. It was Johnny's turn to roll his eyes, he looked at her.

"Ah ain't stupid" He replied calmly.

"Na ye ain't, buh nuthin' has been going on" She said.

He looked at her quietly, realising that she was being truthful, he nodded more so to himself. "Well ah thank he likes ye" Johnny mumbled. Betty scoffed and looked at him.

"Wha' makes ye thank that?"

"'Cause he's always watchin' ye." Johnny explained. Betty furrowed her eyebrows, she had never noticed it. He had seen her almost naked down by the quarry, but other than that, it was nothing. "'Member that night where ah put a spider in yer bed?" He asked.

Betty nodded, "Well ah saw 'im watchin' us by his tent" Johnny elaborated.

She shrunk into silence, she was sure he didn't watch her because most of the time she was watching him. They were back to being silent, the tension between them having disappeared to both of their relief. Johnny's head soon shot up and he frowned.

"Ye hear that?" He whispered.

Betty craned her neck to the side and listened intently. They could hear a brief scuffling and a few shouts. Raising to their feet sharply, the pair took off in the direction they came and wove through the alleys. When they reached the alleyway that Glen and Daryl were suppose to be in, they found a young hispanic boy, T-Dog and Rick holding back Daryl.

"I'm gonna stomp ya, yer fuckin' border hopper" He shouted.

Betty frowned and look around, where the hell was Glen?

#

"Shane?"

Valerie pushed back, her lips puckered into a sly smile and she stifled giggles into her hands. Shane cursed and peaked outside his tent, he spotted Lori ambling around the area and he brought his finger up to his mouth and hushed Valerie.

She nodded and ducked down.

Her mind flashed back to her normal life, she would of never done this with some random man she had just met. But then again, her parents raised her to look down on working class people such as Scarlett, Johnny and Betty, and look where she was now. The people she was told to despise was the only people that saved her, she had gone to her 'classy' friends for help and they had ditched her as soon as things got rough. Even her own parents tried to runaway when the outbreak happened, and now they were dead.

Scarlett, Johnny and Betty always thought that she was mourning her parents loss, but she was mourning the many good years she missed out on due to the lack of friends. When she first met the three, she didn't talk because she thought they were worthless. Oh how she was so wrong.

A wave of sadness washed over her and she rubbed her face with shame.

"Valerie, you alright?"

She brought her head back up and met Shane's warm ones. "Fine" She smiled at him.

He grinned and ushered her towards him, "Lori's gone" He said and brought her back into an embrace.

_#_

"Ah swear ta god, ye dirty fuc-"

"Betty!"

Betty was pulled back immediately, her arms were swiping furiously through the air while she repeatedly tried to lunge forward. Rick was trying to calm her down, but it was only aggravating her more making her lash out even harder.

In the end, Johnny threw her over his shoulder and took her outside. He dumped her onto the ground and stepped back in, closing the door on her. She furiously glared at the door, not daring to bang on the door incase it attracted walkers. She sighed angrily, kicking at the door weakly while she devised a plan to get back in and beat the hell out of the hispanic boy.

His name was Miguel and he was definitely playing up the bad ass defiant boy.

She heard a shout and a shuffle of furniture inside the room, then the door opened suddenly and Daryl was thrown out and landed beside her.

"Wha' ye git thrown out fer?" She asked.

"Same reason ye got thrown out" He replied bitterly.

Betty snickered and lent against the wall, her head fell back and she watched the door keenly. "Ain't it funny that we're tha ones that got thrown out."

"Whys that?" Daryl looked at her curiously.

"Never mind" Betty shook her head, deciding not the take the conversation that direction.

Daryl watched her for a moment longer and turned his head back to the door, "Ah threw Merle's hand at 'im" He mumbled. Betty slapped her hand over her mouth, stifling the laughter that was sure to come out. It was certainly turning out to be a humouring day.

#

Valerie arrived back at camp with swollen lips, flushed cheeks and rumpled hair. Her eyes were casted downwards while she shyly walked forward and sat down at the campfire. She felt eyes boring into her and she looked up, only to meet Shane's darkening eyes.

Her cheeks heated more and she averted her eyes to the ground again, kicking her feet through the gravel while she willed her cheeks to cool. She was aware that Carol was looking at her funny, and she shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

"You be careful" Carol warned quietly, her voice bring Valerie's attention up.

"Why?" Valerie whispered back, finally meeting the soft blue eyes.

"He's a violent one" Carol murmured.

#

"Hurry up!" Betty snapped, she was out front this time and leading the group through another alleyway.

"Can't we go back to the van?" Rick asked from beside Miguel, he looked at Betty questionably.

"Dun ye pay attention?" She retorted angrily, "Didn't ye see it was blocked off"

The group exchanged an anxious glance, Miguel nodded nervously in agreement with Betty. "Wha' do we do then?" Johnny asked, their attention all turned to her. Betty rolled her eyes and looked between them.

"Men" She muttered before taking another turn into another alleyway.


	12. Rescue: Part 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

What was suppose to be an expedition to find Merle and Scarlett, had now turned into a mission to save Glen. The group had been following Betty obediently, she was the only one who knew her way around the city properly and it created a nervous buzz around the group.

"How does she know her way around. We never brought her here" Rick mused, he looked at Johnny expectantly.

"This was the first place we came after we ran away, spent 'alf a year 'ere. We didn't live too far from here either" Johnny explained, he looked fondly up the front where Betty was parading around.

"Where did you go afterwards?" Rick asked quietly.

"We went up to Las Vegas-"

"While she was fifteen?" Rick interrupted.

"Yeah, we spent 'bout five years up there. Then we went ta Los Angeles fer 'bout two years, then we moved ta Los Angeles fer a year 'n moved ta New Orleans fer three years." A smile spread across Johnny's face and he shook his head, "Man they were sum good times"

Rick's face crumpled slightly, a sadness washing over him. He regretted missing out on Betty's life. "You guys never went to school?" He stated. Johnny let out a quiet bark of laughter.

"Hell naw man, why tha hell ye thank we talk like this?" He snickered.

Daryl had listened to the whole conversation secretly, he silently walked ahead of Rick and Johnny. His eyes were set on Betty while she swung her pickaxe around her head, his eyes traveled down her body and he cursed her for looking like that. She hadn't changed out of her outfit, she still wore dark denim short shorts and a thin t-shirt that kept riding up her taunt stomach. She had thick combat boots on that only added to the attraction he was feeling.

It certainly didn't help when she dropped her pickaxe and lent down to get it, his mouth nearly dropped open as her shorts rode up her ass and revealed a slight bit of cheek. Daryl averted his eyes, but it was already too late. Johnny had seen the whole thing and Daryl had drank in what her body had to offer.

#

Valerie splashed her feet in the water, she was learning how to fish with Andrea and Amy. Her parents had never given her the time of day to learn how to fish, they definitely didn't want their daughter doing slave work. She huffed as her line wasn't being pulled, she continued to splash her feet harder.

"You know, if you keep doing that the fish won't come, right?" Andrea added.

Valerie halted her splashing offence and smiled sheepishly back at Andrea, she calmly waited for the line to pull and she indulged in conversation with the two blonde sisters.

"How did you meet them?" Amy asked curiously, "I certainly know they weren't your friends before the outbreak"

"How do you figure?" Valerie replied, her eyebrows drew together.

Amy put her hands up in mock surrender. "No offence intended, its just that you all look from different social classes if you get my drift. I mean you talk like us, and they talk like the Dixon brothers" Amy explained, her eyes hopeful that Valerie wasn't mad.

Valerie relaxed slightly, "They found me on the side of the road. My parents were just killed and they were making their way back to camp. I owe them my life" She elaborated, her eyes watered from her previous shameful thoughts and she turned away.

"What were they doing out there?"

"They lived there, well kind of" Valerie hesitantly explained.

"What do you mean, 'kind of'?" Andrea intervened.

"Well, they were living in this hut illegally" She answered.

"How can-"

"Look they ran away as kids, obviously didn't finish schooling and had no qualifications. They've been arrested a few times, Betty has been in and out of Juvi and once in prison, with that on their records a lack of jobs is expected. So they lived illegally in abandoned houses, living off the money they made each day or stealing food" Valerie said hastily.

Andre and Amy looked at her in shock, "How could someone live like that?" Amy gasped.

The three girls were from more privileged households, none of them had gone without as the three friends had their entire lives.

"Strangely enough, they were so happy and had heaps of fond memories" Valerie answered enviously.

#

"Johnny look"

Johnny's head snapped up and he looked towards Betty, she was leaning against a wall and pointing towards an abandoned building with a wide grin on her face. He smiled warmly and joined her by the wall, his eyes traveling the length of the decaying building.

"Good times" He mused, earning an agreeing grunt from her.

"Wha's so special 'bout sum building?" Daryl asked as he passed them by.

Betty and Johnny kicked off the wall, both shouldering the youngest Dixon brother. "We use ta live there Darylina" Betty told him. Daryl glowered half-heartedly at her and turned his attention back to the front of the group.

"Ain't exactly a humble abode" He murmured.

"Ah bet it was better than yers" Betty retorted. "Ye probably lived in a trailer ya hick"

Daryl scoffed loudly, his mouth quirked up at the edges "Ya callin' me a hick, yet ah owned a house" Daryl chortled, "'N as ah recall, ye talk jus' like me" He added.

Betty scowled at him, "Touche Dixon" She mumbled.

He turned his head away, ensuring that she didn't notice the smirk that erupted on his face. He sobered up quickly when Johnny hushed them at Rick's command. They neared Miguel's groups head quarters and hid behind broken walls.

"Wha' are we gonna do?" Betty asked, her question was directed at nobody in particular.

"We'll just go up to them-"

"'N explain wha'?" Betty snapped, she straightened up "Hi thar, look ye stole one of our men 'n we stole one of yers. So lets swap 'em 'n ride a horse into tha sunset" She mocked Rick's deep voice and re-inacted stupid movements with her hands.

"A horse?" Daryl scoffed.

Betty shook her head at him, and looked at Rick. "Wha' we gotta do is shoot up tha place" She said.

"Oh c'mon Betty" Johnny scolded.

She put her hands up, "Ah know, ah know. It's a thought though" She said, "A good thought" She added wistfully.

Daryl found himself smirking again and he willed it away, he focused hard on the young hispanic man instead. "Ye so much as move 'n ah'll shoot ye in tha ass like yer partner" He threatened, he narrowed his eyes angrily. The hispanic man nodded nervously, his eyes twitching with fear.

Betty straightened up, she stretched her limbs and yawned. "Well lets go" She said.

Rick stood up and shook his head, "You're standing watch with T-Dog up on the balcony-"

"Why?" She interrupted angrily.

"Because we don't know what this group is capable of and the last thing we need is a girl" Rick snapped.

"Wha's wrong wit havin' a girl wit ya?" She argued.

"'Cause if this group is packin' heat, a pretty girl ain't gunna be treated nicely, ya hear?" Daryl intervened.

The group silenced and looked at him, his face turned a slight reddish hue and he frowned.

"Erm, thats wha' ah seen on movies anyway" He mumbled.

Betty chewed on her lip and nodded, did he think she was pretty?

She followed T-Dog up onto a roof, the pair of them watching over the group with two rifles in their hands.

#

Valerie walked back to camp with Andrea and Amy by her side. Each of them had a bunch of fish each, the three of them prouder than ever.

"Daryl isn't the only one who provides food" Amy joked, she puffed out her chest and grinned.

The two other girls giggled together soon silencing as they heaved their way up the hill.

"I hate this hill" Valerie complained, she swung the fish over her shoulder. The other girls grunted in agreement, but they were exchanging glances, silently having a conversation. Valerie looked at the pair oddly, desperately wanting to know what they were thinking.

"Hey Valerie, whats going on with you and Shane?" They asked curiously.

Valerie pinked slightly and she frowned at the pair, "Nothing" She lied.

"We can tell your lying. What's really going on?" Amy giggled.

Valerie sighed and looked at the ground, "Nothing really. We just kissed earlier today" She gushed, aware of her heated cheeks. Amy squealed and Andrea chuckled to herself.

"We thought you had something for him, just didn't want to embarrass you" Andrea said quietly.

"Well don't tell anyone, its just a kiss" Valerie instructed.

"Just a kiss?" Amy laughed, "Every girl has said that at some point in their life and never meant it"

#

Betty joined the group down behind the broken walls again, they had come back unsuccessfully with Miguel in tow and Glen still in their warehouse. Betty quietly observed the group, her eyebrows were meshed together and she was trying to plan something in her head.

"Personally, I think we should go with Betty's idea" T-Dog quipped from her side.

Betty grinned brightly, she squeezed his shoulder. "He's right" She agreed.

Rick and Johnny exchanged a glance, "I dunno" Rick started.

"Do ye want Glen back or not?" Betty snapped, she raised her rifle in her hands and pushed past them. "Lets git him, then git Merle 'n Scarlett. 'Nough playing around" She muttered.

The group followed after her quickly, she walked into the courtyard and banged against the door furiously. She stepped back as she heard locks being withdrawn inside and she kept her rifle by her side. A man walked out and faced her, his eyebrows drew together as he took in her appearance. His eyes drifted behind her, he spotted the same group from before and he tensed.

"Well?"

Betty pushed past the man and stepped inside his warehouse, earning shocked gasps from Rick and Johnny. She raised her gun and pointed them at the men inside, "Ah ain't playing 'round. Wheres Glen?" She hissed angrily. A few of the men stepped back but the others came forward and raised their guns.

She furrowed her eyebrows, uncertain if she would even kill enough before going down herself. With a sigh she dropped her rifle to the side, "Aw man" She complained. Rick, Johnny, Daryl and T-Dog joined her side, all four of them with scolding looks. She made sure to flip them off and turn her attention back to the main hispanic man.

Just as the tension was rising, an old woman came forward and crowed in some foreign language. A smile spread across her face and she outstretched her arm to Rick, pulling him forward and grasping her arm tightly. She smiled at the rest of the group, muttering small things to Rick as she led him forward.

"Drop your weapons" The main hispanic man sighed.

Miguel was released immediately and the group followed after Rick and the old woman. Tension dropped between the two groups, a sheepish smile made its way onto Betty's face and she ducked her head out of sight, feeling embarrassed about barging into their warehouse.

The older woman led them into a separate part of the warehouse, outside into a backyard and into another building with boarded up windows. As soon as they got inside, they smelt a musky scent and Betty covered her nose quickly. She knew that type of scent, it reminded her of visiting her grandparents house with Rick when they were little. She frowned as they entered a main room and found a group of seniors surrounding one coughing old man.

"Glen?" Betty called out.

Glen was standing by the coughing man with an inhaler, he had a confused on his face.

"Where are tha vicious hounds?" Johnny asked, his eyes were directed to two small harmless dogs and Betty cringed.

She gripped the main hispanic man's shirt and almost slapped him, "Ye idiot, we were gunna shoot up tha place" She snapped.


	13. Back To Camp

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Rick had passed over half of the guns to the Hispanic group to Betty's dismay. The group had left immediately, after helping them and some in higher spirits than others. Betty scowled at Rick's back, she wasn't happy with the arrangement and Daryl shared her point of view. She was silent the whole trip back to the truck, but that didn't stop her from glaring daggers at Rick's back. Her eyes traveled the length of her estranged brother and she scoffed, he was wearing a ridiculous sheriffs uniform and had found his hat.

"Ye know we 'ave 'alf of wha' we coulda had" Daryl remarked snidely.

"Yes" Rick sighed.

"Face it Rick, you actually went back for the hat" Glen joked light heartedly.

"Don't tell anyone" Rick joked back casually.

Betty's eyes narrowed, "I'm glad ye two are 'aving a good time, considering we still 'aven't found either Scarlett or Merle" She snapped.

They had reached the bridge they had parked the truck under, and Rick turned around to explain himself.

"Li-" He started.

Betty's eyes shifted past him to under the bridge, "Wha' tha hell?" She exclaimed.

The group turned swiftly and stared under the bridge, it was completely empty. The gate they had come through was open and the truck had disappeared, faint bloody boot prints were left in its place. They quickly put the dots together, understanding that Scarlett and Merle had fortunately taken the truck.

"If Merle's goin' back, he's goin' back wit a vengeance" Daryl stated.

"Scarlett probably too" Johnny agreed.

"Well we best git back ta camp" Betty said excitedly.

#

Valerie frowned at the falling sun, her eyebrows were drawn together creating a wrinkle on her forehead. What were taking them so long? They never took this long on missions, in fact Betty and Johnny were the most efficient and quickest people she knew. Her forehead wrinkled more as she tried to devise up a proper explanation for their absence. It didn't help that half of the group thought something had gone wrong again this time.

"They're gonna be fine"

Betty turned to her side and her eyes met Amy's baby blue eyes. A worried smile stretched her lips and her eyes found her feet, she was sitting on the edge of the cliff, her legs dangling in the air while she threw stones out into the sky.

"Valerie" Amy brought her attention back to her, "They're gonna be fine" She promised sweetly.

Valerie nodded shyly and took Amy's outstretched hand, she squeezed her fingers lightly. "I know they will be, it's just-" Valerie paused and swallowed loudly, "They've never, ever, taken this long" Amy squeezed her hand back, studying her face intently.

"Maybe they're helping people or had to stop for more supplies. There is always a reason" Amy reassured.

Valerie inspected the younger girl, "Y'know, you're really mature for a seventeen year old" She mused. Amy rolled her eyes and nudged Valerie softly.

"You aren't any older than me" She sniffed.

"I'm nineteen, thank you very much" Valerie laughed, puffing her chest out excitedly.

Amy made a face of horror, "And you're hooking up with Shane Walsh? Ew, he's like thirty three" She exclaimed. Valerie hushed her with heated cheeks, she checked around her quickly and sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. A wrinkle appeared on her nose.

"It's not that big of an age difference" She murmured.

Amy giggled, "Sure" she muttered, not bothering to argue with the older girl.

#

Hours later, Valerie found herself sitting around the camp fire with a plate of food. She was fidgeting restlessly beside Amy, the rescue group still hadn't made an appearance and the majority of the group was on edge. Even Amy had stopped giving her prep talks or trying to calm her down.

Dale had successfully emerged the group into a funny conversation about his road trip journeys but it didn't stop Valerie from worrying about her friends. She nibbled on her lip, avoiding eye contact with Shane and allowing herself to plunge into thoughts about Scarlett and even Merle's wellbeing. She sighed quietly to herself, her shoulders visibly tensing while she ate a small bite of her meal and pushed the plate away. She earned scolding looks from the older members of camp, but she dismissed it entirely, too worried to care.

"I'm going to the bathroom" Amy announced, yawning afterwards and stretching too.

Valerie watched her rise from her seat and slowly sway towards the RV, fatigue evident in her movements. Valerie's eyes shifted to Shane finally, a look of amusement was in his features as he studied her face curiously, she wasn't use to the male attention and she ducked her head down in embarrassment. Shane smirked wider.

Then the screams came.

#

The group crunched along the pebbled path, exhaustion from their hike from Atlanta showing in the lazy way they walked. It had taken them hours to finally get back to camp, they could see the faint hue of fire from afar and relief swarmed through the group.

"Ah thank ah could eat anything" Johnny murmured, earning an agreeing hum from the others.

They froze in their path when they heard an ear splitting scream from above followed by gunshots. A wave of panic filled them and adrenalin pulsed through their veins, they tensed and ran forward.

"Mus' be Merle 'n Scarlett" Daryl stated, his crossbow now firmly held in his hands.

"Shit!" Betty cursed, allowing her legs to take longer strides, she shot out in front of the boys and sped forward, decidedly ignoring T-Dog's comment on her criminal ability to run faster. She brandished her pick axe and firearm at the same time, finally pushing herself through the dense bushland and out into the main camp area.

There were walkers everywhere, all of them closing in on the camp while shots were fired off blindly. She cocked her gun and threw her pickaxe forward, stopping a walker from taking a huge bite from Jacqui's shoulder. She raised her firearm and shot off at random will, taking out the walkers that were the most direct threat to her and the group.

"Valerie?" She called out worriedly, while she fired off another shot. "Valerie!" She said more forcefully.

"Here" A small whimper replied.

Betty looked to her side and felt a small wave of relief, she ushered over the younger girl and tucked her under her arm as they fought their way to the RV. "Get over there" Betty ordered, shoving Valerie forward with incredibly force. She turned around and jammed the butt of her firearm into the nearest walker's head, before shooting it directly between the eyes.

She spotted the rest of the rescue team come through the forest, "It ain't Merle" She told them, whilst shoving another walker to the side. The team immediately bolted into action, the cries of the other members were drowned out by the shots than rang through the camp. A series of shouted orders followed afterwards, but all was ignored when the next wave of walkers hit camp. Betty cocked her gun, and pointed it to the nearest advancing walker, she got it in sight and pulled the trigger. Click. Click. Nothing.

She froze, "Not again!" She hissed, pulling at the jammed weapon and checking the ammo. It was fresh out of bullets, she looked for her pickaxe but Jacqui was using it to get through other advancing walkers. "Shit!" She muttered, decidedly raising the firearm and knocking the walker to the floor. She slammed the firearm into the walker's skull until it became a messy bloody pile. She rose quickly, tossing away the bloody firearm as she tried to compose herself.

"Betty!"

She turned and nearly fell backwards as weight hit her in the chest, she staggered momentarily. She was aware of the snapping jaws inches away from her neck, she squirmed and pushed back, allowing some room between her and the undead woman. The woman came back more forcefully, this time knocking Betty to her backside and falling on top of her. The walker closed in on her, it's jaws now pressing firmly against her sensitive skin. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain, her struggling stopping suddenly.

She re-opened her eyes when the weight on her grew slack, the walker lay motionless on top of her with blood drooling from its mouth and an arrow sticking awkwardly out of its head. "Fuckin' bitch" She cursed, kicking the walker off her and yanking the arrow from its head. She moved to get up, only to be picked up even quicker by her saviour. She met Daryl's hard blue eyes and she ducked her head, "Thanks" She mumbled and handed him the arrow.

Daryl awkwardly took it from her, "Naw problem" He answered, the smugness he had now vanished. His hand brushed over hers and she froze, her eyes meeting his again before she retracted from him. Daryl watched as she hurried towards the cries near the tent. He sighed and looked around the camp, it was a dead wasteland of rotting corpses.

#

Amy, Ed and many others from camp had died along with the invading walkers. Andrea had stayed by Amy's dead body, her sobs echoing through the camp and haunting the rest of the people there. Rick had ordered that they rest up, deciding they would clear up the mess the next morning.

The majority of the people went back to their tents with heavy hearts, but Daryl thought they were lucky. At least they knew if their kin was dead or alive, instead he had to guess if Merle was even alive or if he had even made it further out of Atlanta. He narrowed his eyes angrily, these people didn't even give a shit about his missing brother, they were selfish and he knew it. His mind drifted back to the other portion of the group he liked.

Despite their annoying tendencies, Betty and Johnny were the closest he was going to get to his old life. With them in mind, he trailed back to his tent, he had allowed them to move their tents further into camp although he knew that they could protect themselves out by the fringe of trees. He frowned when he found Betty and Johnny arguing outside Valerie's tent.

"Wha' tha hell ye mean?" Betty hissed, her voice travelling back to Daryl.

"Well it ain't safe ye sleeping by yaself" Johnny muttered.

"Then ah'll share wit ye 'n Valerie" Betty countered, her eyes narrowed darkly "Dun ye dare thank 'bout sendin' me up ta main camp. Ah dun wanna be kept awake by sum snivelling mess or even be near the dip shit squad up thar" Daryl had to muffle his snickers into his hand while he watched the pair.

"Ye can't share wit us. It's too small-"

"And ah'm fat?" Betty interrupted.

Johnny gave her a serious look, "As if" he scoffed, "Besides Valerie's gunna be cryin' all night" He added.

Betty pulled a face, "So am ah 'spose ta sleep on tha grass?" She asked snidely.

"Ask Daryl" Johnny suggested.

It was Betty's turn to scoff, "As if he wants me anywhere near 'im" She shook her head and Daryl backed around a bush so they couldn't see him.

"He likes ye" Johnny threw in.

"Stop wit that bullshit Johnny" Betty bit back, there was a tone of exhaustion in her voice. Daryl peeked out from behind the bushes and watched as she turned it over in her head. He could see defeat clearly in her shoulders and she slumped forward. "Ye ask him" She finally snapped before taking her luggage out of her tent.

Daryl took this as his time to come out from behind the bushes, his face was nonchalant as he neared them.

"Oh hi Daryl" Johnny greeted, being exceptionally kind to the redneck. Daryl grunted at him, acting as if he hadn't heard what they had just been discussing. Johnny looked over him, he chewed on the inside of his cheeks and came forward. "Look Daryl, ah was wonderin if ah could ask a favour of ye" Johnny started.

Daryl cocked his head to the side questionably, although he knew what was coming.

"Do ya thank Betty could stay in ye tent tonight? Ah jus' dun want her in her tent by herself 'n ah'll be looking afta Valerie 'n well she's uncomfortable wit crying" Johnny rambled. He went off into a tangent, explaining Betty's socially awkward attitude and her failure in compassion. Daryl fortunately had zoned out as soon as he started talking, when he had enough of Johnny's talking, he waved his hand in dismissal.

"Fine" He said shortly, "if it stops ye from talkin' ma ear off then fine"

Johnny grinned at him, "Thanks man" he exclaimed and slapped a hand on Daryl's back. Daryl grunted to himself and disappeared into his tent, he could hear Valerie's cries and he hoped the whimpers wouldn't distract him from his sleep. He threw his crossbow to his side of the tent, and pulled his shirt off tiredly. He wasn't aware that he had company until he heard a sharp intake of breath. He whipped around and found Betty standing at the opening of the tent.

"Sorry" She muttered, ducking her head down with embarrassment.

"S'alright" Daryl replied, his eyes traveled the length of her body and he gulped. She was standing before him in an oversized shirt and small bed shorts underneath, the shorts weren't leaving much to imagination and he felt his throat dry in response. He cleared his throat and chucked a fresh shirt on, stepping to the side to allow her to come in.

"Sorry ah 'ave ta come in here" She apologised, "Johnny's really anal 'bout things"

Daryl shrugged, "Jus' lookin' out fer ye" He managed to say, he tried to ignore the way her hips moved within her shorts. He shook his head and turned towards the beds, Merle and Daryl had never bothered to sleep in cots, instead opting for two single mattresses on the floor. Since the tent was quite small, the two mattresses were jammed right next to one another.

"Hope ye dun mind, ain't much room" Daryl said, gesturing towards the mattresses.

"Ah really am past tha point of caring" Betty said brazenly, she slid onto Merle's mattress and curled up beneath the single blanket on the bed. She closed her eyes immediately and Daryl joined her down on the ground. The light within the tent was put out and the pair laid in silence for a brief moment, the sounds of Valerie's cries echoing towards them. Daryl heard Betty sigh loudly, before she turned abruptly on the mattress and shove the pillow over her head.

"Ah hate it when people cry" She stated loudly although it was muffled beneath the pillow.

Daryl snickered, "Me too" He admitted.

Betty pulled the pillow from her face and looked over at him, "Ye thank we'll find 'em?" She asked quietly, indicating her question to Merle and Scarlett's wellbeing.

"Ah dunno" He replied softly.

Betty sighed again and turned over, "Thank ye Daryl"

"Fer wha'?"

"Fer saving ma life 'n not rubbing ma nose in it"

Daryl smiled and turned over, falling asleep conflicted by his happy and sad emotions.


	14. Jim's Premonition

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Daryl groaned and moved slowly on his back, his eyes felt heavy as he yawned quietly. He froze immediately when he felt a strange weight over his body and his eyes suddenly snapped open, he glanced down quickly and found Betty snuggled into his side. One of her arms was wrapped over his waist and her head resting on his shoulder, only inches from his head. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders, tucking her into him and one of her legs overlapped his, resting her thigh close to his crotch.

He shifted uncomfortably as he found her moving in her sleep, causing her to graze her leg over his groin and bring it back down to his leg slowly. He took in a sharp breath, trying hard to shift his hips away from her toned slender leg. He craned his neck forward, cursing under his breath when his predictions came right, he indeed had morning wood. He squeezed his eyes shut and slowly pulled his arm away from her, resting her head on her pillow softly as a replacement.

He inched away from her, making her stir in her sleep and roll further onto him. How could a man feel so blessed and so agitated at the same time? He tried prying her off him, he definitely didn't want her waking up and finding him pitching a tent painfully against his jeans. He pushed her a bit harder, causing her to moan in her sleep. He gulped down the arousal he felt from the small noise and shifted her off him.

To Daryl's dismay, Betty's eyes flew open and she dazedly glanced around the tent. Her eyes snapped back to Daryl, and then down his chest and traveled the length of their entwined bodies. He saw her cheeks heat immediately and she sprung off him, scrambling her way to the other side of the mattress.

"Uh.." She stammered.

Daryl put his hands up, shifting his hips underneath the nearest blanket to hide the obvious erection she hadn't found. "Ah jus' woke up, ye were on me" He explained, trying hard to ignore how her shorts rode up her thighs. He turned his head away and focused with determination on softening himself.

"I'm sorry" Betty said embarrassedly, she fidgeted with her hands and looked down at the ground.

Daryl shrugged, "S'alright" He answered truthfully, "It didn't 'appen" He added.

Betty sent him a grateful smile and rose from the mattress, "Thanks Daryl" She said softly, she made an excuse about getting breakfast and disappeared quickly out of the tent. Daryl sighed and popped his head out of the tent, when he was sure that she was gone and no one was around, he laid back down on the mattress, quickly releasing himself with an ashamed feeling.

#

She would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy waking up on Daryl, she would also be lying if she said she didn't get a slight bit of arousal from finding him beneath her. She wasn't completely sure, but she swore that Daryl's eyes had been a little more darker than usual, his voice more gruffer and his body a lot less tenser. She found herself smiling while she pulled on a pair of old denim shorts and ripped t-shirt, things were certainly going to be a lot more interesting around camp.

It was then that she realised that things were definitely going to be different, she just remembered that there were casualties in the group and there was a lot of cleaning up to do. With a tired sigh, Betty pulled her thick brown hair into a messy ponytail and trudged up to main camp, already smelling rotting corpses.

She crinkled her nose and entered the camp, her eyes stung from the stench and she grabbed a rag from her back pocket, covering her nose and mouth quickly. She peered around the camp, because she had woken up later than usual, Glen already had the majority of the dead bodies piled up in one area and the members that died were piled up separately. Amy still hadn't turned and Andrea was hovering over her quietly, her tears dried long ago but her face still stoney.

"Afternoon Betty" Glen greeted flatly, his cheeks were slightly wet with either sweat or tears. Betty couldn't tell.

"Afternoon Glen" She countered, "Sorry ah got up late" She apologised,_ I was too busy being all over Daryl_. She gritted her teeth and willed back the thought, she was glad Glen couldn't see her jaw through the rag, because it would be a dead give away.

"Its alright, we reckon you and Daryl could do with more sleep. Considering you both had just gotten back from hunting" Glen said, his eyes traveled over the camp and he sighed loudly.

"Ah see ye nearly cleared up" She said lightly, not really prepared for a deep conversation.

Glen nodded, "We're gonna bury our bodies after we've burned the corpses" He mumbled before returning to helping T-Dog lift the invading walkers to the back of an old pick up truck. Betty stretched her limbs and came forward, offering her help to transport the walkers from camp to another location. They hoped the smell wouldn't drift back to the camp as they burned them. By the time they had packed up all the walkers and burned them in another location, Betty was beyond exhaustion and was ready to collapse.

However when she returned, Johnny pulled her aside by the RV.

"Jims been bit" He explained quietly, his eyes flickering over her head.

"And?" She muttered.

Johnny gave her a look of disbelief, "Jus' watch him while ah go up ta tha funeral" He snapped before storming off in Valerie's direction. Betty rolled her eyes, she was more than ecstatic to look after Jim than go to an uncomfortable funeral. She pulled herself into the RV and sat opposite Jim, his eyes were closed with pain and a bag of ice was plastered to his forehead.

"Hi" She greeted awkwardly.

Jim opened his eyes slowly, taking in her appearance and then closing them again. "Hi" he replied weakly, wincing at the slight movement he made.

Betty fumbled with her hands and laid down on the long seat, her arms rested behind her forehead and she gazed up at the ceiling. The RV felt like a furnace, causing sweat to slide down her skin and probably even more down Jim's. She sighed to herself, aware of the minutes ticking past sluggishly.

"Treat him right" Jim murmured.

Betty frowned and turned her head to him, his eyes were still tightly shut and his eyebrows mashed together.

"Huh?"

"Treat him right" Jim repeated, "Daryl...treat him right" He elaborated.

"Ah dun know wha' ye mean" She mumbled. "Why do ah 'ave ta treat 'im right?" She asked.

Jim struggled with another wave of pain and Betty sat up straight, she grabbed him a glass of water and slid into the seat next to him. "He's worth more than he looks" Jim murmured, shakily taking the glass and lifting it to his mouth. He gulped down the water and Betty removed the ice pack from his forehead, it had melted quickly.

"Why me?" Betty questioned, whilst refilling his ice pack and firmly placing it on his forehead.

"Because you two have more in common than you think" Jim explained. Betty frowned at him, she was sure that he was just talking bull shit because of his condition. She turned to go back to her seat, but Jim clamped his hand on her small wrist tightly. "Do it Betty" He hissed through the pain, "You'll be good for him, and he will be good for you"

"Wha' are ye, sum kinda psychic?" She joked lightly, trying to pry his hand from her wrist.

Jim opened his eyes and looked at her, she frowned when she saw the answer to her question. "Oh" She murmured.

"Do it Betty" He repeated softly, letting go of her wrist and slumping back into his seat tiredly. Betty shakily stood up and looked out the window, the group was back and all were slowly moving through the campsite. She left Jim, assuring Jacqui that he was fine for now and she hesitantly made her way towards Johnny.

"So how was it?" She asked.

Johnny shrugged, "Just like any other funeral" He sighed and he glanced over at Valerie. "She's still a bit shaken up about last night and Scarlett missing" He added.

Betty sighed, "Well at least we know they made it outta Atlanta" She reassured, "Ah might go out lookin' fer 'em tomorrow"

Johnny shook his head, "Naw ye can't"

"Why not?"

"We're leavin' tomorrow. Ricks moving tha group somewhere else, it ain't safe 'round here no more" Johnny explained. Betty frowned and raised her eyebrows.

"Ye ain't saying that we're going with Rick's group are ya?" She asked.

Johnny frowned again at her, "Aren't we?" He questioned.

"Ah told ye ah dun wanna be 'round Rick. Jus' 'cause we got attacked, we need him now" She retorted.

Johnny stared hard at her for a moment, "Dun be selfish Betty" He said lowly, "Thars safety in numbers 'n Valerie needs this. She's so afraid righ' now" He argued.

"Safety in numbers?" Betty scoffed, "Last time ah checked, those 'numbers' got Scarlett 'n Merle lost, got tha camp invaded 'n got people killed" She replied angrily, her voice raising with each word. Johnny dismissed her with a hand, waving off her argument.

"We ain't leaving" He said firmly. "Trust me this once Betty, if it dun work out, then we'll leave" He promised.

Betty narrowed her eyes at him, "Fine buh ah ain't happy" She sniffed. Johnny patted her back in thanks and took Valerie back to the tents, with Betty's eyes glued to their backs. She huffed when they disappeared, not really happy with the arrangement but too tired to really argue with anyone on it. Instead she grabbed a change of clothes, hygiene equipment and a towel from her car and took off down to the quarry.

This time, Betty opted to dive into the lake with clothes on. She swam around for a bit, allowing the cool water to rid of the sweat and dirt that had piled onto her body that afternoon. She watched the sun fall from her spot in the water and enjoyed how the darkness swallowed her. She didn't bothering taking a light down with her and cursed herself for being stupid.

"Ah see ye chose ta swim wit clothes on"

Betty turned in the water, her eyes wide as dinner plates when she set them on the youngest Dixon. He was smirking at her, crossbow in hand and a bunch of squirrels in the other. He was lazily leaning against a rock and watching her intently.

"Wha' is it wit ye Dixon's, always sneakin' up on me" She complained, swimming her way near Daryl. He shrugged, still watching her. Betty frowned at him, "Ye 'aving fun staring?" She asked snidely. Daryl's smirk widened and he kicked off the stone.

"Johnny was wonderin' where ye were, sent me down here ta git ya" Daryl said smoothly, ignoring her question.

"Well ye'll have ta come git me" Betty challenged from the water. Daryl rolled his eyes and she laughed, "Okay-okay. Ah'll git out" She confirmed. She swam back to the shallow parts and carefully walked along the rocks to her pile of clothing. She lifted the hem of her t-shirt and her eyes shifted to Daryl's stare.

"Ye gunna 'ave ta turn 'round Darylina" She said, smirking slightly as his cheeks heated and he turned quickly.

"Wouldn't be tha first time, ah seen ye naked" He mumbled.

Betty threw her wet t-shirt at his head and he scowled, cursing her under his breath as his back faced her. She changed quickly and tied her hair into a wet bun, she swung her towel over her shoulder and took her wet t-shirt from Daryl.

After not so subtly looking her up and down, Daryl led her through the dark back to their tents. She still had to sleep in Daryl's tent, since Valerie and Johnny were sharing one. Betty would be lying if she wasn't a bit happy that she got to share Daryl's tent with him another night. A sly smirk crept across the features and she followed after Daryl, ignoring the will to stare openly at his ass as he walked in front of her. She was so close to staring at it when he turned around and ushered her through the set of bushes.

He passed her as she stopped outside Johnny's tent, she shoved her stuff inside and even peeked in, Valerie was asleep and snivelling in her sleep.

"Wha' ye doin'?"

Betty turned and stared up at Johnny, "Came ta say goodnight" She muttered.

"Where were ya?" He asked her, concern itched on his features.

"Was down in the quarry-" He crossed his hands in a big brotherly way, "Yes ah know ah shouldn't of been down there, buh ah was. Besides ye sent Daryl down, so he woulda killed any threat" Betty rambled quietly. Johnny frowned at her.

"Ah didn't send Daryl" He mumbled, "Ah didn't even know ye were down at tha quarry"

Betty scowled, "Wait wha'?" She was interrupted when Valerie called out for Johnny. He moved past Betty quietly, muttering goodnight and leaving her to stand speechless outside the tent. She hesitantly made her way to Daryl's tent, deciding to keep quiet about what Johnny said. When she entered his tent, he was already asleep and she slid into the mattress beside him. She stared at him for a moment and took in his features, smiling to herself, she settled down into bed and fell asleep.


	15. Leaving Camp

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

When Betty awoke the next day, she was happy to find Daryl already had left. She definitely didn't want to wake up entwined again, well at least not with them both awake. She got changed quickly and made her way to camp, noticing that Johnny and Valerie had already taken down their tent. She spotted them in the midst of a crowd around Rick, their heads bowed as they took in whatever her estranged brother was speaking about.

She wrinkled her brow and closed in on the group, startling Valerie with her silent approach.

"Wha's tha plan?" She asked, ignoring Valerie's shaky breaths.

"Rick's planning ta take us ta tha CDC" Johnny explained, his eyebrows were furrowed together while he stared into the distance.

"Tha CDC?" Betty questioned.

"Centre for disease control" Valerie elaborated, she had finally calmed down.

Betty nodded mutely, "Are ye sure 'bout this?" Betty asked Johnny, she indicated to their conversation yesterday. Johnny nodded, he was prepared to get the hell out of this camp. Betty chewed her lip nervously, it was rare that she got anxious but she was unsure about the plan.

"Wha's tha worse that could happen?" Johnny said lightly.

"Oh ah dunno, thars no one at tha CDC or its overrun" Betty added snidely.

Johnny shrugged at her, "We're leavin' fairly soon" He said, ignoring her statement all together.

Betty clenched her fists angrily while he walked away, she was sick of him ignoring her input and she actually was hoping that something went bad at the CDC. With Shane's orders to go pack up, Betty stormed back to her and Daryl's tent, gathering her discarded items and helping him take it down.

She kept silent as they worked together, Daryl hadn't even bothered to muster up a conversation with her and it slightly made her aggravated and she didn't understand why she felt this way. She sighed inwardly after his gear was packed up, she took her items and trudged back to her car. Johnny was hovering outside it, cursing loudly as he shoved the rest of their luggage into the back seat. Betty frowned when she got closer, aware that there was only room up the front for two people.

Johnny turned as she approached with a hesitant look, "Betty.." He started.

"No room fer me?" She interrupted. Johnny sent her an apologetic look and she shrugged, shoving her stuff into the back seat and turning back to the camp. She was definitely not going to share a car with children, nor was she going to sit in a car with Andrea who had been mourning around camp and making everyone uncomfortable. That only left one option; Daryl Dixon.

#

Daryl packed his truck with a heavy heart, he rolled Merle's motorbike on the back of it and strapped it down with the mattresses to its side. He sighed to himself and looked at the motorbike with clouded eyes, the thought of leaving the camp was like abandoning his brother all together. He closed the tailgate with a snap and moved around the front, frustration evident in his strong features.

"Daryl?"

He clenched the side of his door and turned his head, he found Betty leaning against his truck in his favourite shorts on her. He dragged his eyes from body and up to her face, ignoring that smirk that was stretching her lips.

"Wha'?" He asked rudely.

Unfazed, Betty came closer. "Johnny's gone 'n kicked me outta our car" She said.

"And?"

Betty rolled her eyes, "So can ah ride?" She asked. Daryl raised his eyebrows, having taken the statement a completely different way. Betty blushed slightly, "Ride wit ya" She cleared up, "In tha car" she added whilst being flustered. Daryl almost grinned at her, he nodded mutely and she hurried around the side of the car. She slid into the front of the pickup, and Daryl followed after her, trying not to get excited about seeing her in her shorts, in his car.

He shook his head and looked forward, his eyes set on the group congregated outside of Rick's wagon. They were farewelling Gonzales and his family, Daryl was too angry to say goodbye and he turned to Betty questionably. "Ye gunna say goodbye?" He asked curiously.

In return, she rolled her eyes, "To tha prick that left Merle 'n Scarlett up thar? No" She said firmly.

Daryl fought down a smile and started the truck to life, he revved it forward and Betty startled him by placing a hand on his arm. She retracted as soon as she got his attention,.

"Do ye thank we could maybe look 'round 'n see if Merle 'n Scarlett are anywhere?" She questioned, her eyes were hopeful.

Daryl shrugged, he watched the group's cars pulled out of camp and he nodded. "Why not? It's clear they ain't gunna be lookin' fer 'em" He stated brazenly. A wide grin came across Betty's face and she nodded happily.

"Ah knew why ah liked ye" She murmured. Daryl raised an eyebrow at her and she rolled her eyes, "Dun flatter yerself"

Together, they followed the group until they reached the main highway. When they were sure the group was out of sight, they turned a different direction and traveled down a separate road that led into Atlanta. Betty's eyes were plastered to the window, they both were searching for any sign of their lost kin.

Daryl was glad that she was facing the other way, if he saw her face one more time, he was sure that he would loose control. He was glad that she hadn't woken up before him that morning, they had been even more entwined than the day before. Their faces pressing against one another while their bodies stuck together, it had been hard for him to roll away from her, it was even harder to soften himself after waking up that way.

He removed the thought from his mind, right now he didn't need to be thinking about her legs or any other body part.

"Hey!"

Daryl's came back into reality and looked to his side, Betty had wound down the window and was pointing to the side of the road. He pulled over immediately and she hopped out, racing across the road to stare down at the ground. Daryl followed her quickly, checking the place out with his crossbow as he walked. When he joined her, he spotted distinct tyre tracks, one that had only recently been made.

"Do ye thank-?" Betty trailed off, her eyes studied Daryl's face for any sign.

Daryl frowned, cocking his head to the side while he stared, "Ah thank maybe so, these tyre tracks are a lot like tha truck we had" He murmured, he crouched to the ground and inspected closely, his fingers swiping across the ground.

"Wha' were ye, a mechanic?" Betty joked, crouching down by his side as well.

Daryl looked back at her, "Yeah" He answered.

Betty's eyebrows flew up, "Strange.." She murmured.

It was Daryl's turn to raise his eyebrows, "Strange?" He countered.

"Ah've always had this thing fer mechanics 'n now ah'm stuck wit one" She elaborated and Daryl didn't miss the reddening of her cheeks.

They were enveloped into an awkward silence, Daryl breaking it with thrusting his fingers into her face. "Blood" He murmured, and the pair of them thought of Merle's injured arm.

"Ye thank they could be 'round 'ere?" She asked, she sprung up straight and looked around. "Merle! Scarlett!" She called.

Daryl clamped his blood free hand over her mouth and hushed her, his eyes suddenly being attracted to a few figures down the end of the road. He raised his crossbow and squinted at the figures, he could tell they were dead by the way they stumbled forward.

"We best git outta 'ere" He mumbled, his eyes still stuck on the road.

Betty frowned at him, "Buh we jus' found sum tracks" She whined. Daryl grabbed her chin and directed her face to what he was seeing, the few stragglers he thought he had seen, had just turned into a mass herd of walkers. He heard Betty gulp nervously, before they took off towards the pick up truck and hopped in. Then Betty suddenly shrieked.

Daryl's eyes flew over the truck and he found Betty being dragged backwards by two walkers, their jaws coming forward to clamp onto her neck. He jumped over the hood of the truck, brandishing his crossbow and releasing his arrow into the closest walker's head. He unsheathed his knife next and lunged forward, gripping the last walkers head and sticking his knife into the back of its head. He then shoved Betty roughly into the truck, plucked his arrow out of the walkers head and rounded the car again.

He slid in and started it up, doing a 180 degree turn and speeding off in the direction they came. Betty was nervously looking back through the back window, her eyes staring at the disappearing figures while she clenched and unclenched her hands with shock. Her breathing was far from calm and her eyes wider than ever.

"Looks like they were 'eading this way anyway" Daryl added quietly after a moments silence. Betty frowned at him, giving him a silent questioning look. "Tha dirt tracks were revving off this direction. Dunno where they were heading though" He elaborated.

"Maybe back ta camp?" Betty suggested, now safely snuggled into the seat.

"Naw, them tracks weren't from today, more like two days ago" Daryl said, his eyebrows were wrinkled together.

"So why didn't they come back ta camp then?" She wondered aloud.

They sat in a confused silence for a moment, both of them staring out of their respected windows as they scanned the roads. Then Betty surprised them both by leaning over and pressing her lips softly against his cheek. Daryl jumped slightly, his eyes questioning her as he turned to her. She reddened briefly and recoiled back into her seat.

"Thank ye" She murmured, "Ye saved me a dozen times, ah'm startin' ta git embarrassed"

Daryl shrugged, feeling awkward "S'alright"

Betty fumbled with her hands, building up the courage to ask him. "Please dun laugh at me, buh ah wanna know if ye would teach me" She asked shyly.

"Teach ye wha'?" He asked.

"How ta fight better, ah'm alright' now buh ah'm more of a street brawler. Ah ain't really that coordinated" She explained.

Daryl nodded, "Sure" he found himself saying. He glanced over at her as she looked out on the road. "Yer an excellent hunter 'n fighter" He added after a while.

Betty scoffed and looked at him, "Ye serious?" She snorted.

Daryl smirked at her, "'member ye won that bet 'n thats wha' ah had ta say" He reminded her, she froze and then grinned, puffing out her chest cockily. Daryl shook his head with amusement, ignoring the way her t-shirt rode up her stomach. It got worse for him to ignore her expose limbs when she rested her legs on the dashboard and let her hair fly crazily through the open window. He drank in every aspect of her body greedily, making sure her head was turned before he did it. Last thing he wanted was her thinking he was a creep.

They rode along in silence, their search for Merle and Scarlett had unfortunately been unsuccessful and they were making their way to the CDC. Daryl's discarded map was outstretched over Betty's legs, she was helping him with the roads and they eventually got on the right track. They found themselves slowing down as they made their way down the road, a cluster of objects across the road.

"Wha' tha hell?" Betty whispered, she picked up her pickaxe and rested it across her lap.

Daryl squinted into the distance, slowing down the vehicle while the objects became larger and larger, showing distinct outlines of cars. He came closer, finding Dale's RV and the other member's cars lined up against the road. They stopped behind them and stepped out of the car, both were met with hostile glares.

"Where tha hell were ye two?" Johnny shouted, he closed in on them and grabbed Betty's arm tightly.

Daryl instinctively stepped forward, standing in front of Betty slightly. Johnny frowned at him, releasing Betty's arm and stepping back.

"Well?" He hissed, glaring between the two.

"We were looking fer Merle 'n Scarlett" Betty answered truthfully, ignoring the thrilled feeling of Daryl stepping forward.

"You shouldn't of done that Liz" Shane intervened, "You aren't on your own now, we're a group now. We best starting acting like a group now"

Betty narrowed her eyes at him, "I'll start actin' like we're in a group when Scarlett 'n Merle git back" She snapped, abruptly ending the conversation there. Her eyes flickered over Shane's shoulder and she found Jim slumped against a tree trunk, his eyes closing and opening tiredly.

Johnny followed her gaze and he softened, "He's dying, says he wants ta be wit his family" He explained.

Betty stepped past him and trudged up to Jim, she crouched before him and rested a spare revolver in his hand. "Jus' incase Jim" She murmured softly, her hand squeezed his finger lightly and she moved back. He opened his eyes again and looked up at her, his breathing slowing down even more.

"Betty.." He started.

"Treat 'im righ'" She finished.

Jim smiled at her and she returned the gesture, she left him by the trunk and joined Daryl by his truck. She ignored the stares they were earning and she turned to Johnny.

"Ye can go wit Dale" Johnny suggested, his eyes flickered uneasily to Daryl.

"No, ah'm fine wit Daryl" She stated firmly, she stepped past Johnny and slid into Daryl's truck. Johnny stared at her for a moment before trailing back to his car with Valerie and starting it to life. The group started down the road again, finally at ease with Daryl and Betty in tow.

It was silent between the pair as they drove, Betty's mind was reeling and Daryl was rethinking Johnny's relationship with Betty over in his head. When his curiosity got the better of him, he looked over at her and took a deep breath.

"Why would ye boyfriend let ye sleep in a tent 'n drive 'round wit 'nother man?" Daryl asked.

Betty furrowed her eyebrows, "Boyfriend?" She laughed.

"Johnny" He elaborated.

Betty laughed loudly, her cheeks hurting while she clutched at her stomach. She blamed her previous shock on her hysterical laughter. She wiped at her eyes when she was done and she shook her head, "Ah ain't in no relationship wit Johnny" She snorted.

"Buh ye two slept together-"

"We slept in two different beds beside one 'nother" She interrupted.

"Ye were so close?" He trailed off and Betty shook her head.

"Naw nuthin' went on thar" She reassured lightly.

Daryl didn't like the satisfied feeling that filled his stomach, he shouldn't be feeling this way and certainly not about this news. He nodded more so to himself than her, "Did anything ever 'appen between ye two?" He asked, trying to hide the keen curiosity he had.

"No" She said, her eyebrows shot up. "Why so interested Darylina?" She asked.

Daryl scowled at the nickname, "Ah ain't interested. Jus' trying ta make conversation" He snipped.

"Ah-ha" She said smugly.

#

When they reached the CDC, the sky was darkening and the group was milling aimlessly outside of their cars. It was clearly deserted, hundreds of bodies covered the ground, military equipment was scattered around and the stench was incredible.

It was hard to avoid blood as they walked through, even harder to avoid walking into a mass of flies. Rick had ordered that the group bring their luggage with them, they quickened their pace towards the entrance of the centre and when they stopped before it, they were met with disappointment. A wave of panic spread through the group, especially Lori and Carol. The CDC was locked down, and walkers from afar were fast approaching.

"What do we do?" Lori cried, she had Carl close to her side and was close to tears.

Shane directed the group back to the cars, trying his best to get them to avoid the walkers. Daryl shot off his crossbow several times, while Rick shouted angrily at the door. Betty could only stand back and laugh at her brother, for once the favourite Grimes child was wrong and she was taking great pleasure in this, even if it meant her possible death.

Her grin slipped however when a loud groaning sound echoed around them, and the entrance door slid open, spreading a bright light over the group.


	16. Welcome To The CDC

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

The group ran through the open doors, leaving a large herd of walkers outside and entering a strange new place. As soon as they stepped through the entrance, they were hit with a cool breeze of fresh air and the doors slammed immediately behind them. Betty's head instinctively fell back as she enjoyed the cold air, she almost groaned in pleasure because of it. Her pleasure was short lived however, the group was met with a man guarded with a rifle.

"Any of you infected?" He asked nervously.

Betty inspected the man, he was definitely what you would call a typical scientist. He wore a long white coat, and his hair was receding, accompanied by a anxious composure.

"One of our men were" Rick answered honestly, "But he's not with us"

"So basically no" Betty muttered bitterly, earning a snicker from Daryl.

The man wrinkled his nose, studying the faces of all the Atlanta survivors closely. When he was satisfied, he lowered his rifle slightly. "You all must take a blood test, as a commission fee" He demanded.

Rick nodded, "We can do that"

The survivors found themselves shortly after, lining up in what appeared to be a lecture room. Betty stood behind Daryl, she watched as his back tensed and he fidgeted around aimlessly. She fought down the urge to smile, ending up with her laughing quietly into her hand. Daryl turned quickly, his eyebrows drawn down into a scowl.

"Wha' ye laughin' at?" He snapped, clearly unimpressed by her.

She stifled her laughter, "Jus' at ye being nervous. Ye dun like needles or sumthin?" She retorted.

Daryl frowned even further, "Ah ain't afraid of needles" He stated and he turned back around grumpily. As if he was trying to prove a point, Daryl cut in front of Johnny and sat down to take his blood test. Betty didn't miss the nervous look that crossed his face. She snickered into her hand once more until her attention was pulled away.

"Mummy says it won't hurt" Sofia whispered to Carl, anxiety etched in her features.

"Oh yeah? Well I bet it hurts like hell" Carl countered, obviously trying to scare Sofia.

"No-no-no! Mum says it won't" She argued, though her face was crestfallen.

"It will, It will, it will" Carl laughed.

Betty rolled her eyes, "It's not gonna hurt, Carls lying" Betty told the younger girl, "Ye won't even feel it"

Sofia looked up at her hopefully, "You promise?" She mumbled.

Betty stepped up to Dr Jenner, she looked at Sofia as the man delicately placed the needle in her arm. "See? It dun even hurt" She said, grinning from ear to ear. Sofia looked doubtful, she stepped back and looked as if she was about to run.

"Tell ye wha', if ye do this. I'll teach ya how ta make ma own grand mama's iron skillet apple pie" She promised, "That being if we got tha ingredients" She added warily. Dr Jenner nodded at her, and she turned to Sofia with raised eyebrows. "How 'bout it?"

"Yes!" Sofia said excitedly, she clapped her hands and rushed forward, thrusting her arm into Dr Jenner's face.

Betty laughed and placed a band aid on her arm, she turned to leave but Carl tugged on her shirt. "Can I cook too?" He asked.

"Sure Carl" She agreed and joined Johnny in the waiting chairs.

Johnny waggled his eyebrows at her, almost breaking into fits of giggles. "Wha' are ye, Mary Poppins?" He snickered loudly. A murmur of amusement traveled through the group that had already gotten their blood tests. Betty rolled her eyes at him.

"Shut up" She snapped with amusement, slapping Johnny upside his head.

#

It wasn't long until the group was cleared to go further into the CDC, Dr Jenner showed them around the centre, giving them a full view of the place that was clearly deserted. It brought questions to everyones mind, which were soon answered with Jenner explaining that he was the last scientist left. It became clear to most of the group, that there was really no hope in finding a cure as the power was slowly wearing off.

They were then sitting around a dining table, with copious amounts of alcohol and food stocked high. It was the most amount of beverages and food any one had seen in months. This sent the group back into higher spirits, for one night they were going to forget the bad omens that surrounded them and were going to live for a bit within the safety of the CDC.

Laughter was swapped between people, the alcohol putting the adults in much better moods. Betty couldn't help but notice Dr Jenner's cloudy presence in the corner of the room, his hand gripping tightly on the full wine glass in his hand. She chewed her lip, studying him closely, something about him put her on edge and she wasn't the only one. She shook it off as paranoia and downed another glass of expensive wine.

"..Ah wanna see how red ye git" Daryl slurred, his hand was clamped tightly on a bottle of whiskey and he was looking at Glen.

Glen hiccuped, tilting his head back and swallowing another gulp of the rum. Betty laughed into her hand, watching as the young Asian man turned pinkish with excess alcohol consumption.

"Keep that up Glen 'n y-ye-ye be wishin' yer dead tomorrow" Betty stated. Johnny pried the wine bottle from her hand and placed it back on the table, deciding she had enough to drink for now. Glen ignored Betty and continued swigging on the rum, his eyes closed while it slid down his throat.

"Idiot" Johnny muttered under his breath.

After dinner and the alcohol fest, the group divided into two and went to separate areas of the centre. Daryl, Betty, Johnny, Valerie, T-Dog, Glen and Jacqui ventured off into the recreation room, positioning themselves on a large lounge suite in the middle of the room. More alcohol was provided to the group, enough to give alcohol poisoning if they weren't careful.

"We should play a game" Valerie slurred, she had long gotten over her trauma and was giggling happily on the floor.

"What type of game?" T-dog asked, his head was buried into the couch.

"Spin the button-" Valerie frowned, "Baton? Brisket? Ball?"

"Bottle" Jacqui corrected, laughing slightly.

"'n wha' do we do?" Johnny asked, he swigged down the rest of the wine and placed the bottle in the middle of the floor.

"Whoever it turns on has to tell one fact about themselves, o-or they h-have to strip" Valerie slurred.

"Thats a shit game" Daryl muttered from the corner, his hand was still firmly holding his whiskey.

"Daryl you're just too afraid to play" Glen said boldly. Daryl narrowed his eyes at him.

"Ah still ain't playing" He mumbled.

"Suite yerself" Betty said, she outstretched her hand and spun the empty wine bottle.

The group watched as it spun and slowed down, pointing towards Glen as it stopped. He cursed and Daryl's lips stretched into a grin.

"Bet ye wished ye weren't playing" He stated smugly.

They all looked expectantly at him, and he fidgeted under their gaze.

"I was a pizza delivery boy" He said.

"Ugh, c'mon Glen. Sumthin' a bit more juicer than that" Betty coaxed.

"I'm Korean?" He suggested. Betty rolled her eyes.

"Pussy" She provoked.

"I smoked pot" He said quickly, his eyes darted between the group.

"Good 'nuff" Betty said, spinning the bottle once more.

The bottle kept spinning through the night, each time a member would reveal even more juicer things about them that most people wouldn't want to share. It didn't help that they were all good and drunk, Daryl still hadn't joined in and Betty couldn't blame him. She had shared a majority of things that was definitely going to embarrass her the next morning.

On the last spin, the bottle landed on her and Betty chewed her lip.

"Ah can't thank of anything" She muttered.

"C'mon Betty, you've gotta have something" Glen sniggered.

Betty shook her head, "Ah really don't"

T-dog looked to Johnny, "Got any dirt on her Johnny?" He asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"A whole lot" He admitted, smirking towards Betty.

"Like?" Glen coaxed.

Betty frowned at him, and then it dawned on her. She gaped at him, "Ye wouldn't?" She gasped and she shook her head at him. Johnny's smirk increased, the silent conversation between them made the group sit forward in anticipation.

"Consider this payback fer tha time ye left me naked in tha supermarket" Johnny hissed playfully. He turned to the group and smirked, "Betty was a-"

Betty clamped her hand over his mouth, tackling him onto his back and rolling around the ground. She kept her hand on his mouth while the pair tumbled around, the group erupted in laughter and when her hand slipped slightly from his mouth, Johnny took it as cue.

"Stripper!" He shouted.

Betty groaned and kicked at him, "Ye idiot" She snapped.

Much to her dismay, she was greeted with shocked faces and mouths resembling a very large 'o'. She cursed and swatted Johnny roughly over the head, repeating the action until she was satisfied with his howls of pain. She straightened up immediately, her eyes narrowing at the other five members. Valerie hadn't known, and she was certainly surprised by Johnny's revelation.

"Ah only did it fer a year" She mumbled, "Jus' ta git sum cash"

The group continued to be silent and she heaved a sigh, she picked up a half empty bottle of whiskey and chugged it down. The swishing of the whiskey in the bottle filled the awkward silence within the room.

When she lowered the bottle so it was pressed against her mouth, she locked eyes with Daryl across the room. In his drunken state, she was met with darkened lust-filled eyes and a serious face. She shivered visibly, earning a small smirk before his mouth disappeared behind his bottle.

"I'm gunna go ta bed" She revealed, she tore her eyes away from Daryl and glared around the group. "Ye tell anyone wha' ah did 'n I'll gut ye all maself" She hissed. Her angry gaze lingered on Johnny before she stumbled her way out of the recreation room, her hand gliding along the wall for guidance. Her eyes were trained on the last bedroom in the hallway, but she barely made it past the first room before toppling over.

She was caught quickly in a pair of strong arms, her weight shifted and she was swaying on her legs again with a dizzy head and a hot breath against the nape of her neck. She moved in the arms, not surprised to find Daryl looking back at her with an equally dizzy look.

"Ain't ye a hero-" She managed to say before he captured her lips in a bruising kiss.

Daryl was quick to push her against the wall, more gentle than what Betty expected. His arms came to rest either side of her head while he claimed control of her lips, she was limp against him for a moment, allowing him to kiss her even more forcefully. She eventually wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying the way his tongue ran along her bottom lip. She opened her mouth willingly, tasting the spice of carefully aged whiskey on his tongue.

His hands slipped down her torso, resting on the one place he had wanted to touch since he met her. He cupped her ass and pulled her hips up flush against his, making her moan against his mouth. She ran her fingers through his hair and enjoyed the guttural growl that ran through his chest, in response she grounded her hips against his. He pushed further into her, allowing her to feel a hardening length against her centre and her knees nearly buckled.

That's when they were interrupted rudely, the door beside them flung open and the pair jumped in surprise. Their lips tore away from one another and Daryl shifted away from her, hiding the obvious arousal stretching his pants. Betty grudgingly lifted her hooded eyes to the two figures in the doorway, her eyes finding both Shane and Lori staring back in utter shock.

"Hi" was all she could mumble.

Shane stared at her hard, his eyes studying her disheveled appearance before he glowered towards the older redneck. He brought his judgemental glare back to Betty, a sneer forming on his lips while he checked her over again.

"I see you still have an impeccable taste in men, Liz" He said haughtily, allowing Lori to slide past hurriedly with tears brimming in her eyes. Betty rolled her eyes at his sour attitude, instead giving him her most bitter smile.

"Ah see ye still couldn't find a woman of yer own Shane, still pickin' up ma brudders scraps?" She retorted, Shane stepped forward angrily, bitterly threatening to tell her brother about Daryl. Betty waved him away, instead her hand found Daryl's and she tugged him forward. They rounded Shane and staggered down the hall. "Shane-" She called out, he was now an angry hazy figure in the distance "Keep ye nose outta ma business" She slurred.

His reply was an angry punch against the wall before he stormed off in the recreation rooms direction.

Betty was too trashed to care, she was once again enveloped in Daryl's drunken embrace. He had opened the first empty room he could find, picking her up by the waist and allowing her legs to wrap firmly around his hips. He lowered both of them onto a thick mattress on the floor, neither one of them bothering to close the bedroom door. Daryl was quick to rub himself against her, eliciting a small moan from her.

Tired of submissing to him, she pushed him onto his back and with her legs still wrapped around him, she was now straddling his hips. She grinded herself against him, devouring his taste in her mouth while his hands squeezed at every exposed piece of flesh she had. His hands found her hair and he pulled her head back, making her stare down at him as he observed her flushed face.

"How'd ye learn ta kiss like that?" She slurred, his face was blurring and she cursed how much she drunk.

Daryl didn't reply, instead he thrusted his hips up and she moaned loudly. She dazedly wondered how a man could have so much effect on her while she was fully clothed. She pushed the thought from her mind, her fingers found the button on her shorts and she tore at it. Daryl's hands clamped by her side and she felt herself sag forward.

"Betty?"

She heard her name called again before she was met with black.

* * *

**Thank you for the reviews, I'm sorry about the late update. I met Norman Reedus on Tuesday so I wasn't able to write then, and must I say that he was absolutely gorgeous in person than on screen. Holy cow! *FANGIRLS***


	17. Hangovers, Apple Pies and Drama

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Her eyes opened and she was met with a dark room, she was tangled in bedsheets and her head was pounding. She could make out a faint light under the door, no doubt leading to the hallway outside. She pushed herself up into a seating position, cursing loudly when her head throbbed painfully, she rubbed at her eyes and pulled herself up until she was wobbling on her legs.

She was met with a wave of nausea that struck her bad, she wobbled backwards and staggered back into the wall. She breathed heavily, deciding to take it slow and observe her surroundings. She couldn't remember much of last night, only that they had played a stupid truth game of spin the bottle. She glanced around the room, her bags were in the corner but so was someone else's. Her heart thudded and she ran into the bathroom, heaving her stomach's contents into the porcelain toilet.

When her stomach had nothing more to give, she mustered all her strength and pulled the lever, washing away the filth. She fumbled through the bathroom drawers, scoring a toothbrush and half used toothpaste, she brushed her teeth quickly and retreated back into the room. She was happy to find that she was at least still clothed, but that didn't mean she liked missing pieces of her memory.

Her eyes zoned in on the other person's bags, they were familiar and she tried to decipher whose they were. Coming to the wrong conclusion that they were in fact Johnny's luggage, she waltzed out of the room and cowered away from the blinking light outside. At times like these and with hangovers like these, Betty wished she at least had some cigarettes to calm her down.

Blindly walking through the hallway, she managed to find the kitchen or rather smell it. Following the scent through, she staggered into the dining area and adjusted her eyes to the dimmer lighting within. Her head turned when she heard loud groans, her eyes resting on Glen while he gulped down some coffee and complained about never drinking. She snorted, only to cringe in pain and grab at her forehead.

"G'Mornin' Betty" Johnny exclaimed, having not drunk as much as she had.

"Shh" She hushed, rubbing at her temples furiously.

"Why dun we git ye a nice big cup o'coffee" Johnny continued to talk loudly, knowing it was causing her pain. He grinned toothily at her and shoved her into a free seat, slamming a coffee mug down in front of her with a couple of aspirin.

She took the coffee willingly, enjoying the hot burn it left on her tongue. She momentarily wished she was back at the quarry, at least she would be able to take a swim and maybe get rid of her hangover.

"Rough night?" A snide voice asked from down the table.

Betty frowned and looked along it, her eyes met Shane's and he sneered at her.

"Could say tha same" She retorted heatedly, gesturing towards the thick scratches on his neck.

Shane grimaced and turned away from her, "At least I ain't sleeping with no good scum" He muttered, only she heard it as the group engaged in other conversation. There was a slam down the other end of the table and she looked at Daryl, his hands were clamped tightly around a mug while he glowered towards Shane.

"Ah dunno wha' yer talkin' 'bout Shane" She said truthfully.

"Really?" He scoffed, "I'll just keep outta your business like you told me to"

At that moment, it all clicked in her head. She took in a sharp breath as flashes came back to her, kissing Daryl, getting into an argument with Shane and then back to the bedroom. She couldn't see anything after that, she paled and bit her lip with deep thought. As strange as it was, Betty at least wanted to be sober so she could remember it.

"I'm gunna 'ave a shower" She murmured quickly, bolting upright and almost stumbling backwards from the nausea waving through her.

"But aren't you going to teach us how to make your grandmother's apple pie?" Sofia whined, glancing up at the older woman.

Betty smiled at her, "'Course ah am, buh dun ye want me in a good mood?" She asked.

Sofia grinned at her, nudging Carl. "Be quick" She ordered and Betty laughed.

"Fuckin' slave driver" She murmured.

"Language" Carol gasped, covering both Sofia and Carl's ears. Betty dismissed her with a wave of her hand, winking at the two giggling kids before she left the kitchen hurriedly. She didn't miss the stares she earned from Daryl, nor did she miss feeling the intense burn on her back from his stares.

She staggered her way back to the room, taking whatever towel she could find and bolting into the bathroom. She tore her clothes off quickly, dragging herself into the shower and allowing the water to blast over her body. She kept the water cold, keeping this memory locked in her mind while she smiled. After ridding herself of the sweat, grime and small chunks of vomit in her hair, Betty wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out of the bathroom.

She nearly dropped her towel when she was met with a shirtless broad back, letting out a gasp, she held the towel tighter to her. The owner of the back turned around and her gaze found Daryl's steely blue eyes. She smiled sheepishly at him and he tugged the shirt on.

"Sorry.." He apologised awkwardly, he scratched the back of his neck. "Ma stuff was in 'ere 'n-"

Betty waved off his excuse, she looked down at her towel for a moment and Daryl moved towards the door. "Daryl-" She muttered and he looked at her questionably, not quite meeting her eyes. "We didn't...did we?" She asked shyly.

Daryl's eyes snapped up to her, "Naw, ye passed out" He murmured.

She chewed on her lip, "Erm.."

It was Daryl's turn to wave a hand at her, "Dun worry, lets not make it anymore awkward than it is" He said clearly.

Betty grinned at him, "Thanks" She said and side stepped him, turning her attention to her bags in the corner. He took it as his cue to leave, so he neared the door and opened it a fraction, his eyes suddenly were dragged back to her. She was rummaging through her bags, only to stand back up when she felt his gaze on her.

"It doesn't mean ah dun wan' to" He said boldly, watching her flush bright red and he exited the room quickly.

#

Daryl's eyes widened while he trudged down the hallway, he had never been so bold with a girl before nor had he been so calm around one who only wore a towel. He scurried out of sight, he didn't want to see Betty for a while, the embarrassment of the situation taking over.

Instead he took comfort in the recreation room, watching idly as Rick and Dr Jenner talked quietly. He was seat across from Shane, trying his best to avoid the officer's glares in his direction. He was surprised by his calm efforts, a week ago he would of smacked Shane in the face. He lent back and grabbed at the nearest book, skimming through the cliche love story within.

"I didn't know you could read" Shane said snidely, his smirk was hidden behind a glass of water.

Daryl shrugged off the snide remark, instead opting to glance at Shane with a wry smirk. Shane clenched his glass with frustration, his eyes narrowing into slits while he glanced the redneck up and down.

"I don't know what she sees in you" He spat, his eyes studying him intently.

Daryl cocked his head to the side, "Who?" He asked, not bothering to hide the bitter tone.

"Who do you think?" Shane spat back, his eyes lingered on Rick briefly before finding Daryl again. "Does Rick know about you two?"

"Thar ain't anythang goin' on" Daryl stated firmly, "Thar ain't tha 'two' of us 'n thar ain't gunna be" He grounded his teeth together and looked steadily at Shane, his blue eyes fixing him with a steely gaze.

"If there isn't anything going on, then why were you two practically having sex in the hallway?" Shane said loudly, interrupting Rick and Dr Jenner's conversation. Rick looked over at them with concern and confusion, his eyebrows fused together with curiosity.

Daryl smirked at the older mans annoyance with him, it was clear that Shane didn't like him. He clamped down his mouth into a mocking line, choosing silence momentarily instead of answering.

#

Betty was glad that she didn't find Daryl in the kitchen, last thing she needed was a distraction or another reason to blush. She focused her attention on the two kids instead, pulling out the right ingredients and allowing them to takeover.

She guided them along, even finding herself giggling at the kids silly antics and childish banter. She made sure that they tripled the batter, promising them that they could keep a whole pie to themselves as long as they told no one. She was surprised how well she got along with the kids, even ignoring the obvious question in her mind; did Carl accept me as an Aunty of some sort.

The question was answered when Carl turned to her suddenly.

"I wish I knew you before the break out" He stated, dipping his finger in the batter to Sofia's annoyance and licking it.

"Oh?" Betty mumbled, swatting his finger away from another dip.

"Yeah. You could of taken me Los Angeles and we would of had fun. You 'n Johnny are really fun, and Scarlett" Carl said, turning his attention back to his cooking. Betty smiled, ignoring the way her heart ached when she heard Scarlett's name. She ruffled Carl's head.

"Tell ye wha', when this apocalypse is over. I'll take ye ta Los Angeles" She promised.

Carl grinned up at her, "Me too?" Sofia pitched in. She was jumping on the balls of her feet, excitedly watching Betty mull the decision over in her head.

"'Course" She answered and then she turned the kids abruptly, "Watch it" She warned.

The pie batter was dangerously close to the stove, nearly erupting it into flames. She switched off the top of the stove, wondering how it had even turned on in the first place. It didn't take long for the first pie to come out, then the second and then the third one.

Betty quickly ushered the kids out of the room, allowing them to run back to kid's rec room and share the apple pie between them. She turned her attention to the dishes, throwing them into the sink and cleaning them quickly. She had never been one for efficient cleaning, if you had asked her two months ago she would of shown you the door. Betty smiled at the thought, packing away the dishes and setting the two pies out to air.

"I don't think I've seen you in the kitchen since you were seven" A voice broke the silence.

Betty spun around, her back pressed against the counter while she tried to slow her heart down. She breathed heavily, glaring ahead of her. "Jesus, ye thank ya could knock?" She snapped, glowering towards her estranged brother.

He was still wearing his ridiculous officer outfit, his star badge still pinned to his chest pompously. His hat was tucked under his arm and a faint sign of amusement was in his eyes. Betty studied his face, growing irritated by the minute. She hadn't talked to her brother much since he arrived at camp, she didn't care to and that wasn't going to change now that they were safe.

"Liz, I know things between us aren't great-" He started.

"Understatement of tha year" She interrupted.

He rubbed his jaw tiredly, "I know you hate me, but you have to admit, it wasn't easy for me. I was seventeen when you got taken to Juvi, I had lost a best friend and a sister, you didn't even write to me and then you ran away-"

Betty stopped him, "Stop it Rick" She hissed, saying his name for the first time in many years. "Ye don't get ta play off tha fact that ye never bothered ta see me, thar was free visits ta see me in Juvi 'n ah wasn't allowed ta write unless someone wrote ta me. Ye were seventeen Rick, ah was only thirteen years old 'n ah was scared ta go in thar alone. Do ye know wha' those girls did ta me? They were horrible 'n when ah got sent back thar again, it was even worse. Ah lost everything, ah lost an opportunity fer a job, ah lost ma family 'n worse, ah lost any respect people in that shit-hole town had fer me" She was shouting at Rick now.

"Ye were always tha favourite, mum 'n dad loved ye tha most. They left Rick, they didn't wan' ta see me 'n when ah was dropped off at that damn house 'n ya'll weren't there. How tha hell do ye thank ah felt? Everyone was gone 'n ah was a fifteen year old living off tha streets. If it weren't for Scarlett 'n Johnny, Ah probably woulda died or hung maself from the rafters. So don't put this on me, Ah tried ta contact ye, ah came looking fer ye. Ye did nothing! Ye didn't even try and ah guess thats wha' hurts most, ma own brother didn't even try!"

Betty felt her eyes sting painfully and she turned her head away from him, "I'm not even gunna hate ye Rick, 'cause that would be a waste of ma time 'n it would mean ah care" She stated, relieved she had let go of her pent up feelings.

Rick was silent, his eyes glassy while he watched it. He opened his mouth but no words came out, except for a strangled sound. Betty fused her eyebrows together, blinking back the tears and staring directly at her brother. "Ah ain't gunna take wha' shit we 'ave between us out on yer boy. He's ma family buh ye ain't" She snapped. Rick nodded mutely and she brushed past him roughly.

"Lizzie" Rick whispered, his fingers tried to hold her wrist.

Betty shook her head at Rick, afraid that her eyes might deceive her. "No" She hissed, recoiling from his touch and scurrying out the door. She slammed into a hard chest and she looked up at Daryl, his eyes unreadable but his face was full of shame.

"Enjoy tha show" She muttered, pushing past him and storming down the hallway. She needed a breather.


	18. Nuthin' Left

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

She hadn't gone back to the room, she wasn't with Johnny, Valerie, Carl or Sofia and she was no where in sight. She had opted to accompany Dr Jenner to his office and drink his alcohol stash. What better way to get rid of a hangover by getting drunk again right?

Strangely though, when she did chug down a mouthful of whiskey, she left it at that. No longer amused by the effects of alcohol and just wanting to sit in silence, Dr Jenner gave her that small amount of paradise and instead drunk heavily to appease whatever demons he had. He was good company for her, he didn't speak nor did he judge and she was likewise. This didn't mean she was overly fond of the older scientist, in fact his intense stares creeped the hell out of her.

She broke the intensity of his stare, peering out of his office window into a room full of computers and a large screen.

"Why did ye stay?" She asked, having heard the stories of scientists committing suicide or abandoning their research. To say the least, everyone in the group was interested in why there was just one scientist left in the CDC.

She was greeted with the sound of more liquid passing through his throat, followed by a burning groan. "I made a promise" He stated, his right hand fumbled with his left and he looked at her, showing a tan line from a ring. Betty nodded, coaxing more out of the strange man. "She was a scientist here, got bit and I promised to keep going" He revealed, his head fell and he took another sip from the near empty bottle.

Betty knew better than to push, she reclined back in his large office chair and rested her feet on his desk. She twiddled her thumbs together and peered out into the computer room, briefly wondering to herself how some people could pull themselves through university when she couldn't even finish high school. A smile formed on her lips as she thought of her old aspiring career ideas.

"What are you smiling at?" The scientist asked rudely, interrupting the comfortable silence between them.

Betty scowled at him, making a small noise of irritation and swivelling round in the chair to meet his eyes. "Jus' 'bout ma thoughts" She answered. He raised his eyebrow at her and she heaved a sigh, "Ma old career aspirations, thats all"

"And why on earth are you thinking about that?" He asked bitterly.

"Well ah was wonderin' how ye could sit through years of university, then ah remembered ah wanted ta be scientist once" She snorted, shaking her head and looking down at her lap, her smile fading.

"What stopped you?"

"Juvi." She looked up at Dr Jenner but his eyes were elsewhere. "Ah probably wouldn't of made it anyway, ma mum always said ah jus' end up sum dead beat. But now she's six feet under, struggling ta git back up ta tear into sum bodies brains" She smirked.

"What happened to your mum?" He asked carefully, trying not to press on sensitive subjects.

"From wha' ah heard, she died from sum heart attack or car crash. Ah dunno, 'n ah dun care. Ask Rick" She muttered bitterly, she was honest about not caring for her mother's death. Dr Jenner raised his eyebrows at her.

"Those are some harsh words" He murmured.

"Words of truth" She answered, "Thats ma best trait Doc, ah ain't never told a lie that weren't worth telling"

#

"Daryl 'ave ye seen Betty?"

Daryl glanced up quickly from his book, his hands were gripping the hard binding tightly and his eyebrows were drawn together. He shook his head mutely, having wondered where the hell she had gotten to an hour ago. He hadn't been able to read his book, instead replaying what he had heard in the kitchen area. The words in his book had blurred together, not really making sense.

He shook his head again and Johnny came further into the recreation room.

"She's been gone fer ages, even missed dinner" Johnny revealed, he looked at Daryl closely. "Ye missed dinner too, wha's up wit ya?" He asked.

Daryl scowled at him, "Nuthin wrong wit me" He snapped.

Johnny's eyebrows flew up, but he left it at that. He scurried out of the recreation room, not wanting to get into a heated argument with a man older than him and definitely stronger than him. Daryl had no hesitation in hitting someone if they angered him.

He continued to stare at his book for a long time, zoning in and out on the simple words scribbled along the pages. His mind was distracted when he heard a shuffle entering the room, his eyebrows fused together and he glared up.

"Damnit Johnny leav-"

He stopped when he spotted Betty standing in the doorway, her hand clasped around a bottle of white wine. His mouth dried quickly and he instantly glanced back down at his lap, his mind was screaming at him. He never acted this way before, why was he starting now?

The couch sunk in weight beside him, he could just make out her slim tanned legs resting on the coffee table. The bottle she was holding was thrusted into his line of vision, making it impossible to ignore her any longer. He snatched it from her, unscrewing the top and downing a mouthful. He instinctively screwed his nose up, glaring at the bottle and coughing.

"Wha' tha fuck is this?" He snapped with disgust.

"Willamette Valley vineyards pinot gris" Betty chuckled, reclaiming the bottle from him. "Ah 'spose yer more of a spirits 'n beer type of guy" She added wryly, not bothering to glance his way.

Daryl hummed in agreement, the taste was bitter in his mouth. "How ye know so much 'bout it?" He asked, glancing at her finally.

Betty shrugged, "Well fer one, it 'as a label idiot 'n two ah did bar tending" She answered.

Daryl scowled at her 'idiot' comment, "Bar tending? Thought ye were a stripper?"

Betty flushed, "Ah did that fer one year" She hissed, "Did bar tending fer years"

Daryl nodded blankly, putting the pair back into silence. It wasn't the most comfortable, tension was still between the pair over his earlier eavesdropping. He stole quick glances her way, she was staring off into space with her wine long forgotten by her side.

"Betty I'm sorry ah-"

Betty waved her hand, "Dun worry Daryl, jus' dun repeat wha' ye heard" She murmured. Daryl nodded and she flashed him a smile, relaxing him and he settled into the couch. He was finally able to focus on his book now, no longer plagued with an ashamed feeling of eavesdropping. He got through the first two chapters before he heard her sigh, he turned to see her asleep on the couch.

_"Treat her right"_

Jim's words rang through his head.

#

The next morning things returned back to normal, well as normal as they could be. Betty still hated Rick with a passion, the strange relationship between Daryl and her remained the same and Johnny was coddling Valerie. Breakfast was strangely smooth, everyone fairly content with their living conditions except for two.

As soon as Dr Jenner stepped through the door, Dale and Andrea shifted in their seats. They greeted him good morning before throwing questions at him.

"Doctor I don't mean to throw questions at you first thing-" Dale started.

"But you will anyway" Dr Jenner cut in.

Betty stifled a snicker, earning a furious glare from Andrea.

"We didn't come here for the eggs" Andrea said sharply, her glare still focused on Betty.

Betty flipped her off and Dr Jenner glanced between the group, he shrugged and filled his mug of coffee. "Come on then" He murmured, walking briskly out of the kitchen area. The group followed sharply, some more reluctant than others.

They followed him into the same computer room Betty had studied, it was colder in here than any other room. It sent a shiver down Betty's spine and she was grateful that she never pursued her dream of being a scientist, the thought of strapping herself to a nine to five job was sickening. Her mind was pulled elsewhere when Dr Jenner projected a human skull onto the large screen in the room.

"Few people ever got the chance to see this. Very few." He explained, leaning against a counter that held several computers.

"Is that a brain?" Carl asked curiously, gesturing towards the skull on the screen. It was flashing different colours, the brain becoming clearer and clearer.

"An extraordinary one" Dr Jenner smiled for the first time, in Betty's eyes it made his face much more warmer. "Take us deeper Vi" He commanded. The computer zoomed into the skull, producing a transparent view of the human brain within. It went even deeper, showing different flashing lights and cells within the brain. Dr Jenner explained a difference of chromosomes, easing up his language for those who didn't finish school. He explained that the person died while the images zoomed out into a bigger view of the brain.

"Vi scan forward to the first event"

The computer showed the electric impulses slowly start to fade, black seeping through the organic connections and slowly moving its way through the brain. It crept further and further, until the person on the screen started to cough and splutter. Slowly killing the test subject, the brain flooded with black.

"What was that?" Glen gasped, staring at the unmoving figure on screen.

"It invades the brain like menachitis, the brain goes into shut down, then the major organs and then death" Dr Jenner said flatly, his eyes dulled and his creepy expression returned. Betty's eyes focused on the unmoving person, it was definitely rare to see it happen so clearly. "Everything you ever were or will be is gone" He added.

Andrea cried softly in the corner and Betty rolled her eyes. Johnny glowered at her, shunning her cynical and insensitive behaviour quickly. In return, Betty turned away from him and pulled herself up on the counter, swinging her legs.

"Scan to the second event" He commanded, turning his gaze away from Andrea and back to the screen. Vi followed obediently, focusing back on the test subject and fast forwarding its progress. "The resurrection time can differ, it was reported up to three minutes to eight hours. This subject took two hours, one minute and seven seconds."

Betty's head snapped towards Jenner, her eyes narrowed with curiosity. Her attentions was averted back to the screen when the black brain started to sparkle red. The dull red light ignited and crept into a small space within the brain, spanning out but not quite reaching the very ends of the connections. The patient started to move, before an object was held to its head and the skull was split in half.

"What was that?" Lori gasped, staring up at the enlarged screen.

"He shot the patient" Andrea murmured, more so to herself.

"She was dead" Rick stated obviously, looking up at the screen and stepping forward.

"You tell me" Dr Jenner answered flatly.

"It's nothing like before, that brain is still mostly dark" He replied.

"Dark, lifeless, dead. The frontal lobe, the neo-cortext, the human part that doesn't come back. The you part, just a shallow mindless sham." He muttered, before commanding Vi to shut down all power stations. The majority of the light in the room shut down, leaving a small light from above to flicker over the group.

"You have no idea what it is, do you?" Valerie said, finally speaking for once since they got here.

"It could be microbial, viral-"

"Or the wrath of God" Jacqui interrupted.

"Theres that too" He agreed.

"Somebody must know something" Andrea added, looking at Dr Jenner hopefully. "Somebody, somewhere. There are others right?"

"There may be some, others like me" He murmured.

"How could you not know?" Rick snapped.

"Everything went down, communications, directives, all of it. I've been in the dark for almost a month" He answered, unfazed by the groups rude behaviour.

"So it's not jus' 'ere?" Betty asked softly. "Thars nuthin' anywhere, nuthin'"

Dr Jenner looked at her, answering the groups suspicions. It was gone, all gone. The world they knew was not going to be fixed anytime soon, they were all doomed. Daryl buried his head in his hands, walking forward and leaning against the counter Betty was on.

"Man, imma git shit-faced drunk again" He drawled.

"Aye" Betty agreed, slinging off the counter and standing next to him.

"Dr Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you and I hate to ask you one more question, but that clock is counting down. What happens at zero?" Dale asked, Betty snickered at the question, that man was obsessed with clocks.

"The basement generation run out of fuel" Dr Jenner answered, not looking pleased about the question.

"And then?" Rick asked. Dr Jenner walked away, disinterested with the question and he sat down at his work station quietly. Rick looked up, "Vi what happens when the power runs out?" He asked the computer.

"When the power runs out, facility contamination will occur" She answered back.

#

Most of the men in the group had ran down to the basement, Betty had decided to follow Daryl back to the recreation room to get drunk. However, when they got there it was occupied by a crying Andrea and Valerie, and a comforting Johnny and Dale.

Pulling unsympathetic faces, Daryl led Betty back to the room that held their luggage. They ignored the fact that they had almost slept together in this room, instead downing copious amounts of alcohol to rid the nabbing awkward tension. Betty had chosen a bottle of rum, it had always been her favourite whilst Daryl took his whiskey as usual.

They drank in silence for a while, the only sounds the swish of their chosen alcohol as it slides up and down the neck of the bottle. When they had gotten half way through their bottles, Betty finally spoke.

"Wha' ye thank is gunna 'appen?" She asked.

Daryl grimaced and looked towards her, "Dunno." He answered truthfully.

Betty heaved a sigh and slid down onto the mattress, leaving Daryl to slump against the wall. She rolled onto her back, the bottle still attached to her mouth while she chugged it down. Her eyes closing in bliss.

"Easy girl" Daryl spoke, pulling the bottle from her lips. "Ye do that 'n ye won't even be able ta stand" He lectured.

Betty rolled her eyes but allowed Daryl to place it to the side. He went to move away but she grabbed his forearm firmly, "Lay down" She ordered, scooting aside for the older redneck to join her. He obediently did so, sinking into the mattress beside her and awkwardly sipping at his alcohol. She released her forearm quickly, placing her hands over her stomach while she enjoyed the new silence.

"Why did ye go ta Juvi?" Daryl asked quietly, curiosity evident in his tone.

Betty turned her head to the side, facing the man. "Theft 'n break 'n enter" She answered.

Daryl's eyebrows flew up, he looked her over. "Thats all?" He murmured.

Betty laughed, her eyes closing with amusement. "Same thing yer dang brudder said too" She snorted, only to sigh sadly to herself. "Man do ah miss 'im 'n Scarlett" She added. Daryl grunted with surprise.

"Yer tha first person other than me ta miss 'im" He said. "No one in this group is sad ta see 'im missing"

"Yer brother was rough 'round tha edges, buh he was nice ta me. A lot nicer than ma own family" She told Daryl, she looked over at the younger Dixon whose face was unreadable. "Ah knew ye were embarrassed by him, buh at least he cared 'bout cha"

Daryl frowned and looked at her quickly, "How y'figure?"

"Ah saw tha looks ye gave 'im when he'd say sumthin' stupid. Same look Rick use ta give me" Betty murmured, averting her attention from Daryl to the suddenly interesting celling light. Daryl shifted on the bed uncomfortably, aware of what she said was true.

"Where'd ye go?" Daryl asked, taking away the tension forming between the two. "When ah heard ye" He clarified.

"Had a drink wit Jenner" She said.

Daryl's eyes instinctively narrowed, "A drink?" He asked, his voice subtly showing suspicion.

"A drink 'n a kiss or two" Betty said, snickering to herself as Daryl sat up.

"Ye kissed 'im? Yer doing ya rounds ain't ya" He snapped, trying hard to hide his jealously.

Betty laughed loudly, sitting up as well. "Oh God, Daryl. Ye are too easy ta wind up" She snickered while shaking her head, "Naw ah jus' had a drink wit 'im. Ah ain't in ta creepy scientists" She reassured.

Daryl's face softened, before flushing a reddish tinge at being caught slightly jealous. Realizing their close proximity, he shuffled back a bit further but Betty captured his arm before he could move back.

"Ah like it when ye git jealous" She informed.

Daryl scowled at her, noticing the way her mouth crept up in amusement. "Ah ain't jealous. Ye can do whatever ye want" He snapped. He tried to ignore the way her tongue darted out and licked her lower lip. He felt the room suddenly get hot, was it him or had the air conditioner just gone off. He didn't care right now, his eyes were on her lips and he wanted to taste her again.

They lent forward slowly, lips brushing against one another before the door slammed open and they leapt apart.

Johnny looked at the pair, frowning at them with disapproval before a low cry was heard down the hall.

"Git up, sumthin's going on" He stated.

Daryl and Betty shared an embarrassed look before following Johnny out into the hall.


	19. Leaving The CDC

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

They ran down the hallway, Dr Jenner was walking briskly ahead of them. Heads were popping out of each room with curiosity.

"Whys the air con off?" Lori asked, pulling Carl out of her room and joining Dr Jenner's side.

"The power is turning off" Dr Jenner replied simply and the lights in the hallway started to turn off one by one.

Betty and Johnny shared an uneasy glance, they didn't like how the scientist was eagerly rushing forward. They could hear shouts from a distance, no doubt the rest of the group had come up from the basement when the power started switching off.

Betty raised her drink to her mouth when it was swatted away, "Nows not tha time ta drown yerself in alcohol" Johnny snapped, pulling the drink from her and taking Daryl's for good measure too. Daryl scowled at her and she poked out her tongue.

The group followed Dr Jenner to the end of the hall, taking the stairs down to the foyer and rushing after him as he entered the computer room. Questions were thrown at him, the group that had been down in the basement had rejoined and were asking questions of him too. He remained silent, taking a seat at a computer desk and starting to document a live journal.

"It was the French" He said suddenly, turning in his chair and looking back at the group.

"What?" Andrea snapped.

"They were the last people to hold out. While all of our people were bolting out the door and committing suicide, they stayed behind" He elaborated, "They thought they were close to a solution"

"Wha' 'appened?" Betty asked curiously.

"Same thing thats happening here, no power grid." He shook his head with a scoff, "The world runs on fossil fuel, how stupid is that?"

"Let me tell you-" Shane started.

"Let me handle this Shane" Rick interrupted, pulling Shane back mid-lunge and moving to join Dr Jenner. He turned back to the group, "Grab our things, we're leaving" He commanded.

They automatically obeyed, turning on their heels and rushing back towards the door they entered. Suddenly an alarm sounded off, a red light flashing through the room while shocked gasps filled the air. There was a slam and the group turned their attention to the door, it closed and they were locked in the room.

"Did you just lock us in?" Glen asked, fear written all over his face. He looked at the group, "He just locked us in!" He gasped.

Dr Jenner ignored them, taking his seat back at the computer and journaling quietly.

Betty looked at Daryl anxiously and chewed on her lip, it was enough to send him into a blind fury. He raced back up to the platform, "Ye sonofabitch!" He shouted, "Ye locked us in 'ere" He lunged at the Dr Jenner, colliding with his shoulder before being pulled upright and away from him. He hissed in anger, pulling against his restraints while Shane and T-Dog held him down. He thrashed against him, sending threats the scientist's way.

Betty came forward, shoving Shane to the side and allowing Daryl to get free. He walked away angrily, pacing around the platform like a caged animal. His eyebrows fused together while he glowered daggers at Dr Jenner's back.

"Jenner open that door now" Rick ordered, no longer playing around.

"There's no point, everything outside is locked down and the emergency doors are sealed" He informed, dismissing Rick with a wave of his hand.

"So open tha damn thang" Betty snapped.

"That's not something I control, thats the computers power. I told you once that front door closes it wouldn't open again, you heard me say that" Dr Jenner said quickly, pointing his finger at Rick as if he was passing the blame to him. "It's better this way"

"Wha' is?" Betty hissed.

"Twenty eight minutes" The computer said loudly.

"What happens in twenty eight minutes?" Rick asked.

When Dr Jenner was silent, Shane kicked his chair and Rick repeated the question louder. Having had enough, Dr Jenner rose from his seat and his height towered over Rick and Shane. His eyes narrowed into slits with anger.

"Do you know what this place is?" He shouted, "We protected the public from very nasty stuff! Small pox, things that could wipe out half the entire country! Stuff you don't want getting out! EVER!"

They were silent while he sat down again, staring mutely at the mans outburst and his calm exterior. It was enough to send shivers down Betty's back and she closed her eyes, rubbing at them tiredly.

"In the event of a catastrophic disaster, a power failure and a terrorist attack, for example HITs are released to avoid anyone or anything getting out" He said much more quietly.

"HITs?" Rick questioned.

"Vi" Dr Jenner murmured.

Betty blocked out the computer as it explained nuclear weaponry, her heart sank as she realised that the CDC was going to blow up with the group in it. Atlanta seemed to be the most doomed place on the planet. She kicked at the ground and sat away from the group, taking a seat on the counter and watching quietly. People started to cry, the two mothers in the group held their children and hugs were given out.

Johnny joined Betty with Valerie, hope was gone in his eyes and was replaced by a dull expression. Valerie's face crumpled up and she sobbed into her hand, she allowed Johnny to circle his arms around her while she continued to cry.

"Thars no point in crying Val, it ain't gunna save ya" Betty informed.

"Are ye really gunna spend yer last few minutes being a cynical bitch?" Johnny snapped, soothing Valerie quietly.

"Least I'll be true ta maself" She retorted.

Johnny wrinkled his nose at her, pulling Valerie to the other side of the platform. She wasn't the only calm one, she could see that Andrea and Jacqui were calmly shifting in their positions with thoughtful looks.

"No pain. Sets the air on fire" Dr Jenner murmured.

#

They had been in the room for ten minutes and Daryl's anger had gotten the best of him. He had thrown his confiscated whiskey bottle at the sealed door in a blind fury, ending with him taking an axe along with Shane and attacking the door. Rick had joined them momentarily before rushing back to Jenner to negotiate their lives.

"OPEN THA DAMN DOOR!" Daryl shouted, he was beyond furious and the group knew better than to try calm him down.

Shane restarted his assault on the door and Daryl expressed his anger through joining him. The room was silent again, only filled with the angry grunts from Shane and Daryl. The group started to argue with Dr Jenner, he made some good points about the cruel lifestyle awaiting them on the outside. Betty could see some members mulling the thought over in there head.

She kept her position on the counter, deciding to admire Daryl from a distance. If she was going to die in twenty minutes, she should be able to have some eye-candy. Her eyes flickered to Shane as he returned back to the platform, leaning tiredly against the computer counter.

"Can't make a dent" He panted, holding his axe over his shoulder.

"Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher" Dr Jenner replied smugly.

"Yeah? Well yer head ain't!" Daryl shouted, rushing forward with a raised axe and intending to hit the scientist. Shocked cries filled the room and the men of the group rushed forward to restrain Daryl for the second time. The axe was pulled from his grip and he was shoved over to Betty's side of the platform.

"You do want this. Last night, you said that it was just a matter of time before everyone you love was dead." Dr Jenner argued, looking straight at Betty's brother. Rick's face twisted in guilt as he glanced around the table.

"Ah see tha cynical attitude did its rounds of tha Grimes family" Betty added bitterly, rolling her eyes at her brother. "Wha' a happy thought Rick"

"What? You really said that?" Shane snapped, glaring towards Rick. "After all we've been through?"

"I had to keep hope alive, didn't I?" Rick argued, looking around the group.

"There is no hope, there never was." Dr Jenner muttered.

"There's always hope, maybe not for you and maybe not here. But somebody, somewhere-"

"What part of 'no hope' don't you get?" Andrea interrupted.

"Listen to your friend, she gets it" Dr Jenner assured.

"Ye lets listen ta tha emotionally irrational one" Betty snapped.

Andrea's face contorted with fury, "Fuck you Betty. You're such an insensitive witch, no wonder your family wanted nothing to do with you, you redneck" Andrea shouted. Betty's eyes narrowed with anger, she slipped off the counter and ran straight towards Andrea.

"Ye fuc-"

Her voice was cut off when a pair of arms circled her waist tightly, she found it hard to breath as she was lifted and taken away from the group. She kicked against the person, earning a hard grunt before being placed down roughly. She landed on her bottom, and she glared up at her captor.

"Thats tha second time I've fallen on tha ground 'cause of ya" Betty grumbled.

Daryl's mouth twisted into a slight smirk, he pulled her up quickly. Betty's eyes slid past him, she glowered towards Andrea who didn't look pleased with being at the end of her glare. The blonde lawyer turned away quickly, shuffling out of sight and avoiding eye contact. She turned back to Daryl.

"Ye thank we're gettin' out?" She asked, turning her attention to the scratched door.

"Dunno, let's jus' say if we dun then I'm cuttin' off that prick's head" Daryl stated angrily.

Their attention was snapped back to the group when Shane fired off shots, directing them towards the computers while Rick knocked him to the ground. The gun was pried from his hands and given to another member.

"Fuck this" Daryl hissed, taking an axe and heading back to the sealed door. He started attacking it again, filling the room with hard grunts. Betty not so subtly started to admire the way his back moved in a fluid motion, how the muscles tensed and released when he gave the door another hit. There was sweat forming already, the back of his shirt sticking to him while his hair stuck up at odd ends.

"Ye gunna stare or help?" Daryl snapped, looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.

Betty flushed, looking down at her feet and away from Daryl. She moved towards him quietly, taking a offered axe and lifting it to take a swing at the door. Just as the axe went to collide with the door, it opened suddenly and she gasped. She glanced at Daryl quickly in shock before he turned to the group.

"C'mon lets go!" He shouted.

The group stared at the door in shock, then returned their glances back to Dr Jenner. Things seemed to move slowly as they raced forward to the door, except for two. Andrea and Jacqui refused to leave, instead stepping back and commanding for the others to leave. Arguments rose in the group, Dale commanding for Andrea to follow as well. With no time for mucking about, Daryl ran out first, making sure Betty was right beside him as they ran back to their rooms and gathered their gear.

Their actions were quick, no one was playing around and before they knew it, everyone was out in the foyer. The axes were put back to work on the window glasses, unfortunately they were bullet proof and any hard object they used was useless. Betty could feel her faith slipping away until Carol pulled out a green object.

"Rick I found this in your uniform" She announced, handing over a grenade.

"Holy shit" Betty murmured while she watched her brother release the pin and carefully place the grenade next to the window.

"Betty!" Her voice was shouted, and she was pulled down into a crouch. A weight on top of her while the grenade exploded the window into pieces. The weight was removed and Betty stood to find Daryl had been the weight. He avoided her eyes while he helped her out the window, leading her towards his pickup truck and killing a walker in the process. To say the least, she was impressed with Daryl and it didn't help that he was attractive.

Time seemed to slow down as Betty jumped into his truck, their heads pressed together while they bent over to shield themselves. Betty squeezed her eyes shut as an ear shattering explosion happened a few seconds later, the affect of it trembled the car and shook through her. She outstretched her hand and held Daryl's tightly, squeezing it hard with surprise.

When the explosion rumbled off, they raised their heads and glanced out. The CDC was in ruins and in was just debris and fire, everything surrounding it was crumbled except for the cars and military vehicles. Betty could just spot Andrea and Dale panting as they raced into the RV out of harm.

"Ya gunna let go?"

Daryl's voice snapped her back into reality, she glanced over at him and down at their joined hands. She released it quickly, flushing slightly and avoiding his eyes. He started the pick up truck to life and followed after the group. Leaving the CDC behind them with both Dr Jenner and Jacqui's memory.


	20. Pit Stop

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

The CDC had left everyone in shock, the loss of lives, the loss of hope and two missing people had burnt everyones fate. No one had spoken or even pulled over to the side of the road, they had been driving for hours and surely someone was going to run out of gas. The group had eventually pulled over, hopping out of their cars while T-Dog explained his car was out of gas.

T-Dog and Rick decided to search for gas, leaving the group behind to mull over their shock. T-Dog was taking Jacqui's death the worst, having known the older woman since he was a teenager.

Things were quiet among the group, Johnny had been doing his rounds, trying his best to cheer up his fellow members. It had been unsuccessful of course, so he turned his attention to Valerie. She was sitting on their car hood, her eyes trained on T-Dog and Rick's quickly disappearing figures. She didn't say much, she was past crying and now her eyes were blank.

Johnny tried his best to cheer her up but she hadn't been the same since Scarlett's disappearance.

"Maybe ye should eat?" He suggested, pushing a small muesli bar into her lap.

Valerie pulled a face at the bar, pushing it away from her and glowering into the distance.

"C'mon Valerie" Johnny pressed, placing it back on her lap. Valerie whipped around, turning her attention fully to Johnny and scrunching her face up with irritation.

"I said no Johnny!" She snapped, "I don't want to eat your damn muesli bar"

Johnny sighed, rubbing at his face tiredly. "Ye haven't eaten fer two days. Ah ain't gunna 'ave yer starving" He retorted, slightly fed up with her bad attitude. Valerie scoffed loudly, catching attention from members within the group.

"God forbid I starve, we wouldn't want one person to feel hunger would we?" She said sarcastically, "Johnny if you hadn't noticed, we are all starving. Thats not gonna help the situation right now" She rolled her eyes at Johnny.

"Fer fuck sake" A voice snapped.

Valerie and Johnny turned around, spotting Betty storming towards them with an irritated expression.

"Valerie, yer fixin' fer a bruisin'" Betty snarled, "I'm sick of seein' ye feelin' sorry fer yerself. Git over it, Scarlett ain't 'ere ta baby ya 'n Johnny 'n ah certainly won't. Eat that fuckin' muesli bar or I'll shove it down ya throat"

Betty snatched the bar off her lap and shoved it into Valerie's open hand, she waited until the younger woman opened the wrapper and chewed on the snack. Valerie's eyes watered slightly, but Betty was past caring. She waited until Valerie finished the bar before returning to her place in Daryl's pick up truck.

Johnny shifted awkwardly beside her, unsure if he should try to comfort her or be glad that Betty voiced his opinion. Valerie kept it easy for him, instead mumbling an apology and returning inside of their shared car.

Once T-Dog and Rick returned with no gas, T-Dog entered Shane's vehicle and the group moved onwards. They drove a couple more miles, before pulling into a abandoned cabin that was sheltered by trees. The cabin itself was large and was able to accommodate the group. The men scoped out the place, and when satisfied with its safety, they unloaded their equipment.

Dale decided to stay in his RV, along with both Carol and Sofia. Lori, Carl and Rick were to share the master bedroom, Andrea was with Valerie and Johnny in the next biggest room while Glen, T-Dog and Shane took the last room. This left Daryl and Betty to take the two lounge suites further away from the group.

Betty sunk down into her couch fairly quickly, closing her eyes and lolling her head back. She could hear Daryl rustling around, his hands rummaging through his bag quietly before a swish of liquid was brought to her attention. She opened her eyes quickly, peering over at the redneck while he downed a mouthful of wine.

"Where tha hell did ya git that?" Betty asked, propping herself up and eying the bottle enviously.

"Ah got it b'fore we left tha CDC" Daryl explained, holding the bottle out for her. "Its tha shit ye gave me" He added, referencing to the bottle of wine she had let him try. Betty grabbed it, taking a small sip before wrinkling her nose.

"Ye couldn't 'ave gotten whiskey or sumthin'?" She mumbled.

"We drank it all" Daryl retorted.

Betty snorted, handing back the bottle and laying down on the couch. "Ah guess I'll be sober tonight" She murmured. Daryl grunted from across the room, he placed the wine bottle back in his bag and mimicked her position on his own couch. There was a comfortable silence between them while they sunk into their own thoughts.

#

_A strand of hazel hair flew into her vision, blowing steadily in the wind with an uncanny grace. Betty shifted her eyes to the owner, spotting a full head of hazel locks. She couldn't see a face, just the back of a slender woman with a pair of dirtied jeans. It clicked in her head when she saw a fraying bracelet on a thin wrist._

_"Scarlett?" She whispered, almost breathless at seeing her._

_The woman stiffened before turning quickly and staring back at her. It was definitely Scarlett, her honest brown eyes stared back at her with a hint of amusement in them. Her mouth stretched into a smile and she nodded slowly._

_"Wha' are ya doing 'ere?" Betty asked, coming closer to her._

_Scarlett shook her head, standing back with a frown. Betty stopped, cocking her head to the side and coaxing for her lost friend to speak. Scarlett observed her momentarily, before stepping forward hesitantly._

_"Are ye dead?" Betty asked, gulping down all the dread that the words left her._

_This time Scarlett made a noise, a high pitched burst of laughter erupted from her lips. She doubled over, shaking her head and laughing heartily. Betty stepped back with fright, this wasn't her loveable best friend, this was a hysterical frightening sham. Betty glanced around quickly, wherever they were, it was all white and barren._

_"Ya left me" Scarlett whispered, bringing Betty's attention back to her. _

_Betty frowned, "Ah came back fer ye" She murmured._

_Scarlett straightened up, her face had darkened immensely and she was glaring at Betty. Her face contorted in anger and becoming uglier and uglier. Her lips curled into a sneer, she stepped back, her brown eyes no longer soft or kind. _

_"Bull shit" She hissed._

_"We all did. Johnny, T-Dog, Rick, Glen, Daryl 'n ah" Betty argued, "Ah would never intentionally leave ya"_

_Scarlett's face was growing darker, her face becoming more and more deformed each time. It looked like something from a horror movie, her eyes enlarged with rage and her teeth started to point._

_"Ye 'n that piece of trailer trash. Ya ditched me fer him" Scarlett snapped. "You left!" She screamed._

_Her scream shook through Betty, causing her to cover her ears from the pain. _

_"Ah didn't mean ta" She whispered, repeating it over and over again. Her eyes were closed to hide away from Scarlett's face, it was no longer her best friend but now a monster from the night._

_Scarlett scoffed and circled her, "Ya dun care 'bout me, I'm better off dead" She said softly._

_"No" Betty whispered._

_Scarlett grabbed a hold of her chin, pulling up her face. Betty opened her eyes, meeting Scarlett's brown eyes again. She was back to her normal appearance, a wise look lingering in her eyes. _

_"Lemme tell ye sumthin'" Scarlett started. "Ya ain't ta believe wha' that Shane tells ye, ya hear me?" _

_"Wha' do ya mean?" Betty murmured._

_"Anythang he says, it ain't true. Ya wanna know how ye got in prison?" Scarlett's voice was barely a whisper now._

_"How?" Betty asked._

_"Ya'll know in good time" Scarlett's mouth was close to her ear. "Ah protected ye from tha truth fer so long, buh now ah ain't thar to protect ya. We'll meet soon" _

_"When?"_

_"Soon" Scarlett's voice said from far away._

#

Betty sat up gasping for air, her t-shirt clung to her with sweat while she panted loudly on the couch. Her hair stuck to her forehead and she pushed it back, she pulled herself off the couch and fanned her hand in front of her face. She peered over at Daryl's couch, she couldn't make out if he was lying on the bed or gone. Shrugging her shoulders, she felt her way out of the living room to the outside area.

When she stumbled outside, the cool breeze slammed into her. She closed her eyes with pleasure, having missed this small luxury for a long time. It was unusual for such a cool breeze to be happening in the summer time, but then again, it was unusual for Betty to be having nightmares.

She walked further outside, moving away from the house but keeping the RV still in sight. She leaned against the nearest tree trunk, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. She tried to calm herself down, but the dream had seemed so real and Scarlett's face haunted her relentlessly. She scrunched her eyes up in concentration, willing Scarlett's face to disappear from her vision and her voice to stop echoing through her ears.

Her eyes sprung open, having felt someone watching her and she tensed immediately. She gasped with shock when she found a male lingering in front of her, his head cocked slightly while his blue eyes observed her with interest.

"Daryl?" She questioned, straightening against the tree and swallowing hard.

"Wha' are ye doin' out 'ere?" He asked, still staring intently at her.

Betty had to look away, "Ah could ask ye tha same question" She mumbled.

"I'm on night shift" He stated simply, raising his eyebrows at her expectantly.

"Had a bad dream" She explained, almost wishing for Daryl to step away and stop distracting her. Daryl was silent for a moment, turning his gaze from her and back to the house. "How'd ye know ah was out 'ere?" She asked after a small amount of silence.

"Ah was walkin' 'round tha house, saw ye 'ere by tha tree" He admitted, looking back at her shyly.

The small look made Betty want to jump him, instead she restrained herself against the tree and sucked her lower lip into her mouth. She instantly saw Daryl's eyes flicker to her lip, his jaw slackened and he blinked hard for a moment. He shifted backwards, unsure if he should be staring at her lip or ignoring it.

Betty's mouth twitched in amusement, she liked having some sort of affect on Daryl even if it was the slightest. She released her lip slowly, she was sure that she had Daryl's attention now and she flicked her tongue out to slide across her bottom lip. He cleared his throat before turning away, inching further away from her. Betty grinned shortly and then kicked off the tree.

"Ya gunna be out 'ere all night or wha'?" Daryl snapped.

Betty grinned even wider, "Why? Ya not liking ma presence?" She asked coyly.

"No. Yer distracting me" Daryl said, he immediately mentally slapped himself for saying that. He didn't want her to think she was having that large of an effect on him. _It's too late fer that_, his mind screamed at him,_ ya already told her ye wanted ta 'ave sex wit he_r.

Betty snorted, bringing Daryl's attention right back to her.

"Fine, I'll go" She chuckled, brushing slowly past him so her hand graze his groin. He stared at her with wide eyes as she looked back at him over her shoulder. "Ye should probably be lookin' that way" She said, gesturing away from her. Daryl gulped and she slid inside.

"Damn this girl" He cursed, trudging back to the RV to sit on top.

* * *

**Sorry for the late update, my internet has been a bitch for the past week. Hope you like it!**


	21. Highway I-85

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

The next morning, Betty had awoken from a better dream. Perhaps it was something to do with Daryl, or maybe the fresh air had calmed her down. Whatever it was, she wasn't paralysed by the haunting memory of her dream. She moved off the couch, yawning and stretching with a new round of energy. Pulling back her hair into a pony tail, she set off to find Johnny and Valerie.

When she stepped outside, she found the group packing quickly with flush faces.

"Wha's happening?" She asked, directing her voice to anyone that would answer.

"Shane found a herd of walkers heading here" Glen clarified, "So we're leaving" He added.

"Where to?" She questioned.

"Rick decided on Fort Benning" Lori pitched in.

"'nother great decision by Rick" Betty grumbled, she rolled her eyes and strolled back inside. She gathered her gear sluggishly and took them back outside. She found Johnny pushing items into their old wagon, when he spotted Betty, his eyes softened.

"Thank God yer up" He sighed, taking her bags from her and placing them in the car. "Ah didn't wan' ta wake ya"

"Good thang ye didn't, ah was 'aving a good dream" Betty smirked to herself.

"'bout wha'?"

Betty spun around, facing Daryl who was peering at her questionably.

"Erm..nuthin'" She said quickly, a pinkish hue spread across her cheeks with embarrassment. She definitely didn't want Daryl to know the dream was about him. Daryl frowned at her, grunting more so to himself and then turning on his heel. He swaggered over to his truck, pulling the motorbike from the tailgate and placing it on the ground.

Betty walked up to him, "Ye riding yer bike?" She asked the obvious question.

"Yeah, T-Dog is crammed in yer car so ah thought I'd give 'im ma truck fer tha ride" Daryl muttered.

"Great, now I'm stuck wit 'im" Betty grumbled.

Daryl looked up at her, "Ye can ride on tha bike, if ye like" He trailed off when he saw her horrified expression.

"No, ah ain't never rode on one of 'em 'n ah ain't gunna start now" She stated, she shook her head with defiance. A flash of amusement crossed Daryl's face, he nodded at her and she relaxed. Once the group got in their vehicles, Betty started to make her way to the pick-up truck. Only to be dragged onto Daryl's motorcycle as he drove away from the cabin.

"I'm gunna fuckin' kill ya" She shouted, clinging onto him tightly as the air hit her face hard.

Daryl was smirking to himself, ignoring her grumbles from behind him and increasing the speed of the bike. She ducked her head behind his back, squeezing her eyes shut while she imagined she was somewhere else. Daryl eased up on the speed, checking over his shoulder and seeing her strange expression. He snickered and automatically regretted it. She opened her eyes and gave him a murderous look, mouthing profanities at him.

They slowed down their speed, allowing the group to catch up in their vehicles.

"Ah can't wait ta beat yer ass once ah git off this" Betty threatened with a growl.

"Ah could teach ya ta ride it" Daryl suggested in a mocking tone.

"I'll crash it" Betty warned. Although, the thought of being able to ride a motorcycle was appeasing to her, despite how terrifying it was. "Would ye though?" She asked after a moments silence.

"Would ah wha'?"

"Teach me ta ride it" She said with a roll of her eyes.

"Maybe" He replied simply.

#

The group had been driving for hours, the sweltering heat of Georgia beating down on their vehicles and on Daryl and Betty's backs. They had just made their way onto highway I-85 and they could already see the congestion of abandoned vehicles. It was mid-day and Betty didn't know if she could handle the heat anymore, especially with a shortage of water among the group.

They stopped suddenly when faced with a turned over truck, Daryl manoeuvred his motorcycle through the wreckage to check around the side. When he saw there was a way for the other vehicles to get through, he came back around and led the RV through first. Betty fanned herself tiredly, she wondered how Daryl was able to grip the motorcycle handles for so long.

She eyed his arms and took back the thought, with those arms, of course he could hold the grips. She smirked to herself, only to yelp in surprise when Dale's RV hissed loudly. She turned around to see smoke erupting from the engine, causing the RV to slow down and then halt.

Betty nudged Daryl, he stopped the motorcycle and turned to look at Dale. He made a noise of impatience and brought his motorcycle back around, he parked it beside the RV and helped Betty get off. She rubbed at her rear, it had been numb for quite a while, she ignored the funny looks she was getting from Daryl.

"We can look around for supplies" Shane suggested, glancing around the highway triumphantly. "We're bound to find something"

"I don't know if I'm comfortable with that" Lori murmured, anxiously glancing around. "This place is a gravesite"

"Well ah 'ave no qualms" Betty snickered, she disappeared between the wreckages with Glen in tow.

"Find me a radiator hose" Dale called after him.

"Will do" Glen hollered back.

The pair searched endlessly through car hoods, before they found an intact hose that wasn't burnt or broken.

"Ye'd thank people would take better care of their possessions" Betty murmured, she watched Glen unscrew the hose from its place.

"I doubt in an apocalypse anyone would be thinking about that" Glen retorted, "Except for you" He snickered.

Betty swatted at him, rolling her eyes and stepping away. She eyed a truck and skulked towards it, she sussed it out before opening a large sliding door on the side. She gasped when she saw it, a whole truck filled with huge water bottles. She goggled at the bottles before turning towards Glen.

"Did ye say we had a shortage of water?" She asked, grinning widely.

Glen frowned and looked over his shoulder, only to whoop loudly and unscrew the hose even quicker. Betty reacted immediately, unscrewing one of the bottles and allowing the water to pour onto her, she relished in the cool liquid that ran down her back and coated her evenly.

"Save me some!" Glen exclaimed.

"Thars a whole truck full" Betty replied.

#

Daryl frowned when he heard the sounds of shouts and laughter, he wondered who the idiot was that was making noise. His eyes immediately zoned in on Betty and Glen, the Asian was wildly unscrewing the radiator hose while Betty had water soaking her clothing. Daryl shook his head and turned back to the car he was siphoning from, only for his head to snap back to Betty.

His eyes ran her length, he took great pleasure in seeing water soak her top till it was see through and her small shorts stuck to her. He licked his lips, he wasn't even focused on what he was doing anymore. She stepped away from the truck, lifting her top mid-way and squeezing water from the material. His eyes were glued to her mid-drift, he could see it rising and falling with excitement.

He was almost prepared to go over there and jump her, when a thick liquid splashed over his hands. He glanced down quickly, noticing that the vehicle's fuel was overflowing from the gas can. He cursed loudly, pulling the siphon pipe from the vehicle and wiping his hands in his red cloth. He screwed the lid onto the gas can, and glanced up quickly when he heard someone clear their throat.

He found Rick lingering above him, with a raised eyebrow and a look of disapproval. Daryl frowned up at him, only to see Rick's eyes flicker in Betty's direction and then back to Daryl. Rick shook his head and retreated back to the RV.

Daryl felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment, Rick had just seen him check out his sister. He cursed himself quietly, hopping the man wouldn't discuss the incident with his estranged sister. He sneaked a glance back at Betty and almost wished it hadn't, she was lying on the ground and exposing her stomach to the sun.

"Damn this girl" He muttered.

#

"Oi, git up"

Betty opened her eyes, she found Daryl looming above her with a displeased expression. He dropped a gas can beside her head, and raised his eyebrow at her.

"Why?" She questioned, ignoring the way his eyes flickering over her.

"Rick wants ye ta do sumthin' instead of sun baking" He lied. In actual honesty, Daryl couldn't focus on getting gas while he knew she was laying on the ground with exposed skin. Betty made a face, she wasn't very pleased but she complied regardless.

"Ah ain't never siphoned gas b'fore" She confessed. She stared at the gas can in her hands with confusion.

Daryl glanced at her with surprise, "Ye been in Juvi buh ye ain't siphoned gas b'fore?" He said. Betty swatted at him, she rolled her eyes at him and walked to the nearest car.

"Jus' teach me how ta do it" She grumbled.

Daryl smirked at her, he placed the pipe into the vehicle and handed it over to her. "Jus' suck it" He instructed. Betty raised her eyebrows at him, causing him to flush lightly and awkwardly shift in his spot.

"Not on tha first date Daryl" She teased. She lowered her lips onto the pipe and sucked in all the air from the pipe. Daryl looked away as he watched her cheeks concave with her effort, he instead got the gas can ready for her to empty the fuel into.

He heard her splutter and he glanced up quickly, she lowered the pipe into the can but fuel was leaking from her mouth. She stepped back and spat it out, shuddering at the bitter taste of gas.

"Ye can't suck ta hard or that 'appens" Daryl murmured.

"Oh really genius?" She snapped, she rubbed at her mouth and found remnants of fuel. She groaned and wiped the liquid onto her shorts.

"Here" Daryl said, he grabbed his cloth from his back pocket and wiped it over her mouth quickly. She retracted with surprise and his hands faltered. He stared at her for a moment, before quickly tucking the cloth into his pocket and screwing the cap back on.

"C'mon" He said, turning around to go back to the RV. He stopped quickly when he saw something in the distance. "Shit" He cursed, dropping the can and grabbing Betty's arm.

* * *

**Sorry its taken so long for this chapter, hopefully you like it.**


	22. Sofia's Disappearance

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

He pushed her down, ushering her beneath the nearest car and joining her side. Her eyebrows were furrowed deeply while she opened her mouth to question his actions, he instead hushed her with a snap and pointed down the road. Betty squinted, she could just make out a group of feet and as the feet got closer, the group grew and grew. She let out a surprise gasp, automatically receiving Daryl's hand on top of her mouth.

She glared at him and he repaid the favour.

Her tongue darted out and licked his palm, he immediately retracted with a disgusted noise. He cautiously wiped his hand on his jeans, sending her uncertain glares while she sniggered into her hand.

"Quit playin', this ain't a game" He hissed. His eyes flickered around them and he grew quiet while walkers passed.

Betty sobered fairly quickly, tension stiffened her body while walkers dragged their feet past the car. She could hear the gurgles and groans, the sound of feet on tar and the smell of rotting hot flesh. It nauseated her to the point where she was restraining gags into Daryl's red bandana. She glanced over at Daryl, his eyes were transfixed across the highway with a nervous look on his face.

Once the walkers had passed the car, he quickly slid out and scrambled to his feet.

"Where are ye goin'?" She hissed.

"Jus' stay 'ere" He commanded, quickly sneaking up the highway with surprising gracefulness.

Betty cursed him and shifted uncomfortably on the ground. She rolled onto her back and closed her eyes, deciding to listen to Daryl for once. Her eyes snapped open however, when she heard a loud shriek further down the highway. She slowly slid out from beneath the vehicle, rubbed at her eyes and squinted down the road. She just made out Sofia's small figure rushing into the bushes with two walkers on her tail.

She leapt up, already spotting her estranged brother racing after little Sofia. She sprinted down the road, finding Carol pressed up against the guard rail and sobbing hard into Lori's chest. Andrea was mournfully looking into the bushes and Dale was patting her back sympathetically.

"Nice ta see yer all racing ta help" Betty snapped. She swung her leg over the rail and slid down the steep slope. Without hesitation, she plunged into the woods and cautiously skulked through. She could hear panicked pants not far from her, she decided to follow them.

She marched through a set of bushes only to find a walker slowly stumbling past her. It didn't notice her, its eyes were keenly fixed on someone else. She glanced down at the ground and picked up the largest stone, she then ran towards the walker and stabbed the rock through its head. Once it fell to the ground, she shakily lifted up the rock and smashed it down repeatedly until the walker's head was pulp.

She dropped the stone and panted, she staggered into an upright position and wiped her forehead. She walked further into the woods, unsure of where she was going. It seemed like she was walking for hours when she finally stopped. She lent against a tree and fanned herself tiredly, the woods was surprisingly alive with movement, birds were chirping loudly and small mammals roamed beneath them.

Her sense were alerted when the bushes directly opposite her rustled. She tensed and wildly looked around for a object to defend herself with. Once she picked up a rather large piece of wood, the bushes parted and a figure raced through. Betty raised her stick high and went to swing, when the figure stopped her automatically.

"Daryl?" She muttered.

Daryl was staring at her, eyebrows furrowed and cross bow raised. He didn't take his crossbow off her, not even when she dropped the piece of wood. She frowned right back at him, she gestured for him to lower the offensive weapon, but he ignored her and kept staring.

"Ah know ye told me ta stay under tha car, buh' this is a bit extreme dun ye thank?" Betty questioned.

Again Daryl stayed silent, he fiddled with a screw on the crossbow but kept it pointed directly at her.

"Are ye gunna talk or ye jus' being creepy?" Betty snickered.

Daryl rolled his eyes, "Move" He said quietly.

"Wha'? Why?" She said with confusion.

"Move!" Daryl snapped.

Betty put her hands up and darted to the side quickly. She didn't expect Daryl to shoot past where she was standing, and she definitely didn't expect him to kill two walkers with one arrow. Her stomach clenched and she realised that both the walkers were extremely close to where she had been.

Once the walkers were down, Daryl glowered over at her and stomped towards them. He retrieved his arrow, whilst still glaring at her.

"Ye shoulda stayed under tha car" He lectured.

Betty rolled her eyes, "Ah was doin' perfectly fine" She said stubbornly.

Daryl scoffed and shook his head, she looked at him questionably and he shrugged. "How am ah 'spose ta teach ya how ta use ma crossbow, if ye can't even detect walkers coming fer ya?" He asked irritably.

Betty's face lit up, "Yer teaching me how ta use tha crossbow?" She asked excitedly.

Daryl rolled his eyes, "Once ye learn ta shut ya trap"

Betty mimed zipping her lips, she grinned at him and he looked away awkwardly. He cleared his throat and shuffled forward.

"We better be gettin' back" He murmured.

Betty followed him, allowing him to lead them silently. She studied the back of him, relishing in this particular angle. His strong back, his broad shoulders, his muscly arms. She shook her head and the thoughts away, she wasn't going to be distracted by him and possibly be killed again.

"Are ye really gunna teach me how ta use yer crossbow?" She asked after a moments silence.

Daryl glanced over his shoulder, a bemused expression on his face. "Maybe" He murmured.

Betty nodded to herself, "How 'bout Merle's motorbike?" She asked.

Daryl slowed his pace, allowing her to join his side. He looked down at her, "Thought ye didn't wan' ta learn" He said.

"Ah changed ma mind" She mumbled.

Daryl mulled the thought over in his head, instantly he thought it would hilarious to watch Betty crash the bike or fail at even starting the old thing. Then his thoughts got more complicated, if she failed at starting it, he would be able to help her. Then again, its always incredibly hot when girl's ride motorbikes, especially with bodies like Betty's. He licked his lips and his eyes flickered to her. She gazed back up at him and his groin leaped at the thought. Hell yeah, he was going to teach her.

"Only if ye listen ta me" He instructed, faking his sternest look.

"Oh okay" She answered hesitantly, she believed he was serious about his motorbike.

Daryl had to turn away to hide his grin, "Good" He said.

#

Once they got back to the highway, it dawned on both of them that Sofia hadn't returned. Rick was standing against the guard rail, a resentful look on his face while he dazedly glanced around. Betty's heart leapt at the feelings it caused, she ignored them and glanced elsewhere.

When they neared the group, they were already immersed in conversation.

"You left her?" Carol cried, sobbing freely into Lori's chest.

"I instructed her on how to get back" Rick argued, "It was the only chance she'd have" His voice broke.

"I can't believe this" Carol sobbed, "My baby girl"

Rick's eyes brimmed with tears, he glanced away with a saddened look. "I-I had to get the walkers away, i-it was her only chance" He murmured more so to himself.

Shane must of felt the same way as Betty, he immediately stepped in to Rick's defence. "How 'bout we go back in there? I'm sure this is a mistake, little girl is probably lost thats all" He suggested lightly. He glanced around the group, "Glen, Daryl and Johnny, c'mon" He ordered.

Daryl looked down at her, "Stay here" He instructed.

She snorted, "Okay boss" she saluted him mockingly.

Daryl's mouth twitched at both sides, he shook his head and turned away. "Good Lord" He muttered whilst trudging away into the woods. Betty smirked as she watched his back disappear between the trees. Her stomach flipping in the process.

"Well thats not something you see everyday" A voice murmured.

Betty jumped in surprise, she turned with wide eyes and spotted Valerie behind her with a wicked smile.

"Jesus Valerie" She gasped.

Valerie grinned, "I see you've got a soft spot for a certain red neck" She snickered.

"What on earth are you on about?" Betty questioned, her eyes flickered around the group.

Valerie rolled her eyes, "Don't insult my intelligence, I see a crush developing"

"There's nothing-"

"I call bullshit" Valerie interrupted.

Betty narrowed her eyes at her, "So help me God, I will-"

"Don't worry I won't tell" Valerie interrupted again, annoying Betty even further. Valerie sent her another wicked smirk before skipping back into the RV. Betty spotted her sending Shane a small wave as he departed through the woods.

Betty didn't know if she should feel relieved that she had something on Valerie, or if she should feel pissed that Valerie had something with Shane.

#

When the search group returned to the highway, Sofia was no where in sight and Carol was a blubbering mess. Betty had grown aggravated with her, not only for being a complete psychotic mess but for also blaming her brother for everything. She had eventually lost all patience instead yelling at Carol for her lack of effort.

"Well Carol, ah dun see ye runnin' afta yer own daughter when she ran away. Stop blamin' everyone else fer yer bad parenting"

Betty had regretted what she said instantly, but it was too late to take it back and now she was sitting on the tailgate of Daryl's truck with a moody expression. Her mood didn't change when Rick trotted up to her, she certainly wasn't in the mood to see him.

"Liz" He greeted shyly from the end of the truck.

Betty grunted at him, looking past him and focusing on Valerie and Shane.

"Err, I wanna say thank you for coming to my defence. Things between us are sour right now, but I appreciate you sticking up for me." Rick murmured.

"Ah ain't sticking up fer ya, ah was jus' tired of tha bitch bawlin'" She snapped.

Rick sent her a hesitant look, he turned away and started to walk back to the group. His steps faltered and he glanced back at her.

"Whenever we were little, you always had the courage to stick up for yourself and me too. It could be against anyone, big or small. You use to take all the punches and I'd end up being the one that cried. You still haven't changed Liz, and I love you for it" Rick said quietly.

Betty watched him go, her stomach in knots.


	23. Churches, Chimes 'n Huntin'

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

"Alright, we're gonna go searching for them. T-Dog and Dale, you stay here. Watch out for Sofia, she might come back"

Betty groaned while leaning against the RV, the heat had risen tremendously that morning, every inch of her was covered in sweat. Her clothes stuck to her, her hair stuck up at odd ends and she was constantly thirsty. Now she was going to be forced to walk through humid woods. She earned dirty stares from nearly everyone in the group.

"You don't have to come Betty" Lori said bitterly, her eyes narrowed while she stood in front of Carol defensively.

"'n give ye sumthin' else ta bitch 'bout? Naw, I'm coming" Betty retorted, earning a quiet snicker from Daryl.

She brushed past Lori, slowly making her way down the slope and gliding through the fringe of trees. She was ahead when she was pulled back roughly, her arm gripped tightly in a large hand. She tilted her head to the side, finding Johnny shaking his head at her.

"People thank yer being insensitive" He stated, he released her arm and walked calmly next to her.

"Do they?" She asked disinterestedly.

"Ye dun 'ave ta come Betty, nobody is makin' ya" Johnny pressed.

"Ah know that. Buh' I'm fairly fond of liddol Sofia" Betty retorted.

Johnny looked at her curiously, "Yer out 'ere fer otha reasons" He accused.

Betty nodded, she glanced over her shoulder, and was surprise how quickly the search party was advancing on them. She leant in closer to Johnny, lowering her voice as well.

"Shane 'n Valerie 'ave got a thang goin' on. Ah jus' wanna keep an eye on her" She whispered.

Johnny lent back, not really surprised by her revelation. He shrugged, "So wha'?" He murmured.

Betty's eyes widened drastically, "So wha'? Tha guys a douche, ye dun wan' Valerie fooling 'round wit 'im, do ya?" She asked.

Johnny shrugged again, "At least he's gettin' her mind off otha thangs" He mumbled absently.

Betty scoffed at him, she dismissed with a wave of her hand, suddenly unable to argue with him. "Imbecile" She muttered. Her eyes found Daryl's as the group stopped before them, she looked away quickly and eyed Rick irritably.

Rick glanced away from her and nodded his head in a direction, "Daryl and I tracked her that way, we figured that way would be safest" He said nervously. Shane frowned at him, he took off his cap and scratched the large amount of hair there.

"You sure she's even gonna be out here, man?" He asked.

"What?" Rick turned on him.

"Well how are we sure that she's even out here? She could be anywhere" Shane muttered.

"Ah tracked her, that's how we know" Daryl snapped.

Shane's eyebrows rose with disbelief, a wry smirk replaced his displeased grimace and he placed his cap back on. He shrugged, nodding his head to allow Daryl to storm past irritably. He sniggered and looked at Valerie who joined in.

Betty frowned, following after the group while they trudged quickly after Daryl and Rick. In no time, she was at the back of the group, her pickaxe tightly in her hand while she observed the area around her. She was far too preoccupied with daydreaming that she didn't realise the group had stopped and she went crashing into the back of a very broad back.

She fell forward with a large huff, pushing the back's owner with her. She groaned when the person hit the ground and she rolled off the back, rubbing at her chest that was impacted so severely.

"Wha' tha fuck are ye doin'?" The male to her side snapped.

Betty glanced over at him, finding Daryl's face a muddy mess and his eyebrows furrowed with irritation. She had nothing better to do than laugh at how dirty his face was, it was hilariously comical to her and her eyes leaked tears in amusement. Her amusement was short-lived, her chest soon aching from pain and she rubbed at it sorely.

Daryl scrambled up, brushing the dirt off his face angrily. "Watch where ye goin'" He snipped.

Betty ignored his comment, realising that his crossbow was perched on his back. Daryl frowned at her, observing her rub at her chest.

"Wha's yer problem?" He asked.

"Yer crossbow, hit me righ' in tha chest" She complained, she sat up and picked her pick-axe up.

Daryl's face softened slightly, he rolled his eyes and pulled her up quickly. "Watch where yer goin" He said more calmly.

"Watch yer eyes" Betty retorted, "Ye ain't lookin' at ma chest fer free" She snickered as Daryl's face flushed and he looked away awkwardly.

#

They soon caught up to the group, finding them waiting hesitantly outside of a abandoned tent with anticipation. Rick was circling it, whispering Sofia's voice carefully while Shane muttered incoherently to himself.

Daryl passed his crossbow over to Betty, unsheathing his pocket knife and skulking towards the tent. He pushed Rick aside, unzipped the tent flap and snuck in, spluttering quickly when an ungodly smell spilled out of it. The smell wafted towards the group, all of them cowering away by covering their noses with shirts or any fabric.

Daryl stepped back out, shaking his head and quickly zipping the tent back up.

"Jus' sum guy that opted out" He muttered, he rubbed at his nose and stepped towards Betty.

Carol's shoulders sunk with despair, she muffled a sob into her hands and she shook her head. The woman came forward, comforting her while she cried even louder into her hand. Betty wrinkled her nose, the noise causing her great discomfort.

She was briefly relieved when a loud chime filled the area, echoing through the woods and blaring out familiar sinister sounds. Betty cringed at the noise, covering her ears and staring around frantically. She could see Rick talking quickly, his hands flailing about while his instructions grew louder.

Her arm was tugged and she looked to the side. Daryl stared at her expectantly, he took his crossbow from her shoulder and pulled her along with his free hand. They rushed through the woods, he never let go of her while they raced towards the noise. It grew louder and louder as they ran, an indication that they were indeed searching for the source of noise.

They reached a clearing, finding an open space filled with grave sites. Betty immediately felt repulsed, her eyes found a small church not far from them and she slowed her pace. Daryl frowned, he looked back at her and his frown diminished quickly.

Betty's face was pale and she slipped from Daryl's hold. He stepped forward, trying to engage her in conversation but she breathed in quickly and marched forward. He was flabbergasted by her response, following after her while she rounded the church and stopped before it.

Rick was standing on the stairs, with the group and each of them had confused looks. The chimes had halted and the doors were shut tightly. Shane frowned, he glancing up at the church and observed it.

"Rick, I don't-"

Rick demised his comment, instead barging into the church with his weapon raised and finding only three walkers inside.

Betty stayed outside, instead choosing to sit beneath a tree further away from the church. Johnny watched her carefully while Daryl, Shane and Rick took out the remaining walkers. He waited patiently by the stairs, covering his ears quickly as the church chimed again loudly and the group of men raced outside.

They soon discovered that the church had an automatic alarm bell system, one that could call the community to the church in the old lifestyle. Carol was disheartened, she sobbed her way back into the church with most of the group following after her. Rick called break time and Shane and Valerie soon disappeared from sight.

Johnny was left to sit on the stairs with Rick, both watching as Betty climbed up the tree.

"I see she never got over it" Rick murmured, observing his sister's silly antics.

"Never" Johnny agreed.

"You'd think after all this time, she would get over it" Rick said.

"Rick-"

"I mean, our grandmother died and now she hates churches and cemeteries. I was never affected that way" Rick pressed.

Johnny stared at him with wide eyes, "You really don't know what happened?" He gasped quietly.

Rick's brow furrowed, "What do you mean?"

Johnny stood up quickly, "I'm gonna go inside" He said quickly, he rushed up the stairs and slipped into the church.

#

Daryl frowned while he walked away from the staircase outside the church, he hadn't meant to eavesdrop but he stumbled across the conversation. He walked towards the tree Betty occupied, glancing over his shoulder to find Rick watching him curiously. He turned his attention back to the tree and found Betty on the highest branch and dangling upside down.

"Oi" He hollered, capturing her attention quickly.

"Wha'?" She called back, her eyes focused on him and she rose an eyebrow.

"Wanna go huntin'?" He offered.

"Huntin'- huntin' - huntin'. Thats all ye thank 'bout" Betty said, she loosened her grip on the branch and heaved herself up.

"Ye comin' or not?" He asked rudely, he watched as she swung down the tree and landed with a thud before him.

"Ye I'm coming, mister sassy pants" She muttered.

Daryl was briefly relieved to find she had gone back to normal, he led her into uncharted territory and handed his crossbow over to her. She furrowed her eyebrows with confusion, looking at Daryl as if he had grown another head.

"Ah told ye ah was gonna teach ya how ta use it" He stated simply.

"Ah didn't expect ye ta now" Betty said.

"Well if ya dun wanna, ah can do it maself" He went to take the crossbow from her.

Betty snatched it back, "Naw ye dun, Ah can do it" She snapped.

He chuckled quietly to himself, watching with amusement as she flicked her hair over her shoulder and raised the crossbow with defiance. They walked through the forest quietly, Daryl instructing her when he saw small critters scuttle past them every now and then. He helped her shoot down a few squirrels, he strung them up quickly and shouldered the food each time.

When she started to loose focus and grow tired, Daryl was nearly bursting with laughter. She grew aggravated at him, every time she'd drop an arrow or trip over a fray branch on the ground, Daryl would splutter with laughter and she frown at him with humiliation.

Just as she loaded up another arrow and smacked herself in the face, Daryl lost all restraint and muffled barks of laughter into his hand.

"That's it, I've had 'nuff" She stated, she rubbed at her cheek sorely and shouldered his crossbow. She turned away from Daryl, hitting him in the chest with his weapon and marched off in one direction.

Daryl rubbed his chest, he clamped his mouth shut to avoid laughing again and raced after her. "Betty-" He called, he outstretched his hand and grabbed her, snickering quietly to himself.

She struggled against his hold, "No! Ye keep laughin' at me, it ain't funny" She snapped, irritation evident in her face. Daryl looked around warily, sniggering again at her. "Yer a dick" She muttered.

"Betty-"

"Jus' 'cause ye can fire an arrow dun make ye better than me. Damn piece of white-"

"Shh!" Daryl hushed urgently.

"Dun ye 'shh' me, ah 'ave every right ta be angry at ya"

"Betty c'mon-" Daryl pressed, he was nervous that she'd attract walkers.

"Yer not gonna quieten me, ya got me pissed off now." Her voice started to raise. "DARYL DIXON YE-!"

Daryl slammed his lips against her, in a desperate attempt to silence her quickly. What he didn't expect was for her to struggle against him before melting quickly in his embrace. His eyes opened and he found hers fluttering close. His hand hesitantly cupped her face and when she didn't retract from him, he moved his hand from her face to the back of her head.

Her mouth moved deliciously against his, she tasted sweeter than he expected, the small whine from the back of her throat even sweeter. He moved closer to her, knowing that loosing focus on their surroundings was a stupid thing to do. His tongue pressed against her bottom lip, running smoothly along while her head moved back. She opened her mouth willingly, allowing his tongue to slip in and roll around hers.

Their chests were pressed against one another, both loosing thought while his other hand traveled down her back. His fingers danced over her waist and she squirmed with delight as they touched a sensitive spot. Their lips started to move more frantically, a slight desperation urging them on with intensity.

Her free hand had just made it to his hair, when her grip on his crossbow loosened and hit his foot with a slam.

He pulled away from the kiss begrudgingly, hissing with pain while he kicked the crossbow away.

Betty's small hands covered her mouth and she picked the crossbow up quickly, "I'm so sorry" She said, her voice wavering with restricted laughter.

Daryl scowled at her and she pursed her lips together, containing the smirk that was dying to be released. She immediately felt an awkward tension between them and she turned quickly, scurrying off into a direction.

"Betty!" He called after her, watching as she turned and looked at him hesitantly. "Church is back yonder" He stated, flicking his hand over his shoulder.

Betty flushed, fumbling with his crossbow awkwardly, "Oh righ'" She mumbled, she shuffled with embarrassment past him.


	24. Returnin'

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

After realising that the church bell wasn't being rung by Sofia and it was in fact just an automatic one, the group was deflated with defeat. Rick had decided that Shane, Carl and himself would search further while the rest made their way back to the highway. Daryl was left in charge in Rick's absence and Andrea had already started her complaining. Once Lori had received a gun from Daryl, Andrea complained even more.

Without a prolonged farewell, the group set off towards the highway.

Betty kept her distance, instead keeping a slower pace with Valerie and Johnny. She noticed from the corner of her eye that Valerie kept glancing back towards Shane, her posture was tense and she kept sighing dramatically. Betty gritted her teeth and remained silent, she didn't want to start an argument in the woods and it didn't help Johnny was giving her warning glares.

They had been walking for a silent thirty minutes before Carol slumped down on a piece of wood and looked longingly around.

"So that's it? This the whole plan?" She sighed.

Daryl looked back at her, his eyes flickering over Betty before settling on Carol. He looked oddly out of place and Betty squinted at him, something was missing and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Tha plan, ah guess, is ta git down in smaller 'n smaller groups" Daryl remarked.

"Carrying knives and pointy sticks" Andrea added bitterly, "I see you have a gun" She looked over at Lori.

Lori rummaged through her bag beside Carol, "Why you want it?" She snapped, she came forward and offered the gun. "Here, take it! I'm sick of the looks you're giving me" Andrea rolled her eyes and snatched the gun up. Lori then looked over at Carol, "Hon I can't imagine the pain you're going through, but you have got to stop blaming Rick. It's written all over your face every time you look at him."

Carol was silent while she gazed at Lori.

"And when Sofia ran, he didn't hesitate to run after her! Not for a second, I don't know if any of us would of gone after her like he did. Or made the hard decisions that he had to make, or if anyone could of done it any differently." Lori glanced around the group, her eyes settled on Betty. "Anybody?"

Betty found herself scoffing, and Lori's eyes bore into her.

"Got something to say Betty?" She asked.

Betty raised her eyebrows, "Ah really dun thank that's fair Lori, Rick was tha only closest one ta Sofia when she ran off. Ya dun know if Shane, T-Dog, Dale, Johnny, Glen or Daryl woulda run afta her. Ah dun thank yer in tha position ta be judgin' us when ye did fuck all ta begin wit" She said brazenly.

Lori straightened up, "How dare you" She snapped, "I don't believe you did anything either Betty"

Betty restrained her hand from slapping Lori, "If ah dun recall Lori, ah ran straight afta her. Dun ye tell ah did nuthin'!" She snapped back.

Lori scoffed, "If you call flirting with Daryl out in the woods doing work, then sure-"

"Wha's thats spose ta mean?" She asked.

Lori cocked her head to the side, and shrugged. "I'm just saying, I think you prefer to be doing other things right now, or people-"

Betty lunged forward, dropping her weapons and flinging all her weight onto Lori. Lori connected with the ground and Betty was all over her with her fists, it took both Johnny and Daryl to drag her off Lori and restrained her against the tree. Once Betty's mind cleared and she glanced at Lori, she found her nose bleeding while a large gash was indented in her cheek.

"You need to be put back in the wild" Lori said shakily, while Carol dabbed at her cheek with a cloth.

"Maybe ya'll learn b'fore ye talk nasty 'bout me" Betty bit back, she scowled as Johnny's face came into view.

"Watch it Betty" He warned, releasing her from his hold. "You gotta be more careful with that anger" He added, whilst shoving Daryl's crossbow back into her hands. Betty pulled a face and squirmed out of Daryl's hold. She went to move away, but his hand captured hers and he pulled her back.

When she realised his hand was holding hers, his face flushed and she knew hers was an exact match. He nodded towards the crossbow and she gave it back, finally realising that she had never given it back to him. She flushed even further and scuttled away, not bothering to notice the amusement in Daryl's eyes. Once she rejoined Valerie and Johnny, she saw that Andrea had given the gun back to Lori.

"Keep it. Might want to keep that crazy bitch at bay" Andrea whispered softly.

Lori cracked a smile, "Just wait till Rick hears about this" She murmured.

Betty heard them and smirked to herself, little did Lori know that Rick was a complete wimp when he came to confronting her. Keeping this information to herself, the group moved forward and continued their march through the dense bushland, ignoring the echoes of a gun shot. Lori had dithered briefly, but Daryl had been anal in keeping the group together whilst travelling back to the highway.

Along the way, Andrea found herself caught beneath a walker, her screams echoed out and rang in the groups ears. They raced forward to help, only to for the walker's death to be intervened by a woman on a horse. She shoved her bat into the walker, before commanding Lori get on her horse and claiming that Carl had been shot and Rick was waiting for her.

Lori automatically slid onto the horse, ignoring the group's complaints while the mysterious woman on the horse barked out details. She then galloped off as quickly as she came, leaving a disorientated Andrea to pick herself up off the floor and Daryl to finish off the walker.

#

Dale squinted past the bright beam of the dying sun, he could make out a group of figures growing closer and closer. He shuffled forward, instructing T-Dog to head back into the RV. He came forward, greeting the returning group while he looked at Andrea anxiously.

"Where's Lori, Rick, Carl, Shane?" He asked nervously.

Daryl pushed past him, "Carl got shot, thar gone ta sum farm" He grunted, heading quickly towards his bike.

"And you let them go?" Dale asked incredulously.

"We got instructions to get to them" Glen intervened, "They've got a first aid supplies there" He added.

Dale's face lit up and he stared at Glen seriously, "Do you remember where it is Glen?" He asked seriously. When Glen nodded, Dale nodded to himself. "You'll need to take T-Dog there, I'm afraid his wound is getting infected" He worried.

Daryl turned around, "Infected?" He murmured. He scavenged through Merle's motorbike bag and found a small plastic bag filled with pills. He chucked them over to Dale, shaking his head at the older man's silence on the matter. "Why didn't ye tell me b'fore?" He asked.

"What is this?" Dale asked, ignoring Daryl's comment.

"Sum pretty hard painkillers" Daryl replied gruffly, when the group stared at him curiously, his face flushed. "It was fer Merle, when he had tha clap 'n all" He added, only to have his cheeks heat further.

Dale left it at that, instead passing the medicine over to T-Dog while Glen got the vehicle ready. Valerie and Johnny decided to go with Glen and T-Dog, while Andrea, Dale, Carol, Daryl and Betty stayed behind in case Sofia returned.

Once they departed, Betty was immediately placed on watch. She scurried to the top of the RV, secretly peering at Daryl while he worked absently on Merle's motorbike. Each time he would shift, she would glance away, her eyes always travelling back to the back of him.

She had just started counting the squares on his shirt pattern, when Andrea called her off watch and replaced her. Little did she know, Daryl had been watching her too.

#

Her small sobs had kept Daryl awake for hours, it had grown dark outside but Carol had stayed awake. She snivelled, wailed and shrieked in the sleep she captured. Daryl had enough of her tears, he reminded him of his mother, something he didn't want to remember.

He got up abruptly, quietly made his way outside while her sobs followed him. He shouldered his crossbow and walked forward, almost jumping with fright when he saw a figure lounging on top of a car. He creeped forward, brandishing his knife while he kept his footsteps quiet. He rose his knife only to falter when the figure sat up and stared back at him.

"Wha' are ye doin' out here?" He asked irritably, realising that Betty was the culprit.

"Probably tha same reason yer out 'ere" Betty replied, she gestured towards Carol's muffled cries and cringed. She fidgeted with her hands, avoiding his gaze while trying to figure out what to say.

Daryl grunted and moved forward. She slipped off the car, following after him with a curious expression.

"Where ya goin'?" She asked.

"Ta search sum more" He replied shortly. Betty shrugged and followed after him, deciding that she was going to join him. He raised his eyebrow at her, "Ain't ye got sumthin' better ta do?" He asked awkwardly. He didn't mind Betty's company, but admittedly he was feeling awkward after their kiss.

"Like worry if ma nephew is gonna make it? Nah, ah dun" She muttered.

Daryl sighed, leading her into the forest and starting to search through the dark. The pair flashed their torches around the forest, searching a territory they hadn't been in before. They kept quiet, avoiding the obvious pending conversation.

They had been searching for an hour, when they came across an abandoned tent. With that tent, came a walker hanging from a tree and a poem nailed to the tree. Daryl stared at the walker, before scoffing and searching quietly through its tent.

"Aint ya gonna kill it?" She asked. She stared up at the walker, nervous that maybe the rope would fray.

"He ain't hurtin' anybody" Daryl grunted, he looked back at her and sighed at her expression. "He ain't gonna come loose" He added.

The walker jolted briefly, the ends of the rope on the branch loosening at the force of the walker's struggle. Betty looked back at Daryl with a disbelieving expression, she raised her eyebrows and Daryl scowled at her. He came forward and aimed his crossbow up at the walker.

Betty outstretched her hand and grabbed the crossbow, she pried it from Daryl's hands, to his surprise, and took aim at the walker. She breathed in deeply, before releasing the arrow and letting it slide through the walker's skull. She glanced over at Daryl triumphantly, poking her tongue out in the process.

"I'm gettin' better" She declared.

"Luck" Daryl muttered.

"Ah was jus' clumsy tis mornin'" Betty defended and Daryl snorted.

"Clumsy alrigh', ma foot nearly broke" He complained. Betty flushed and she stared at the ground, she apologised quietly and he shrugged. "It ain't tha worst thang a girl's done ta me" He admitted.

Betty snorted, "Ye mean yer tellin' me that sum one's done worse than droppin' a crossbow on yer foot afta kissin' ya?" She scoffed.

Daryl nodded, "Yeah, tis girl passed out when ah tried ta sleep wit her"

Betty's face nearly glowed red, she ducked her head down and avoided Daryl's face. "Dun know whether ah should git a medal fer being that girl or if ah should run away" She admitted, humiliation settling into her features.

Daryl grinned at her and she rolled her eyes, "Lets jus' pretend it didn't happen" She suggested hopefully.

Daryl's grin faded and he stepped forward, "Why would ah do sumthin' like that?" He asked. Betty shrugged and he stared at her hard, "Yer made camp a whole lot interestin' since yer got 'ere" He admitted shyly.

Betty smiled slightly and he closed the space between them, he brushed his lips over hers.

"I'd probably do more, buh' ye didn't kill tha walker righ'" Daryl smirked and used his knife to re-kill the walker. Betty scowled and swatted him over the head, earning a chuckle from him.


	25. Redneck Courtin'

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Valerie peered around the farm, it was huge, strangely untouched by the apocalypse outside. It was like a dream, the family here didn't understand how rough it was on the road. They had everything, food, shelter and even water and power. It was a paradise for them.

She sat on their porch, sipping a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice while the breeze ran through her hair. She sighed with content, aware that someone was joining her side. She glanced at the chair next to her, surprised to find Shane staring back at her.

"You ain't happy" He stated, he lent back in his chair.

"No" Valerie said shortly. "You risked your life"

Shane shook his head, "I had to Val, otherwise, Carl wouldn't of made it" He argued.

"I understand that, and you're a brave man, but it was dangerous" She cried, her eyes brimmed with tears and Shane grimaced. He glanced down at the ground, "Just promise me you'll be safer" She sighed.

Shane nodded quickly, "I will" He promised.

"For me and the group" She whispered, she flung her arms around him and snuggled into the crook of his neck.

"For you and the group" Shane said through gritted teeth, he glanced through the window at Lori, before settling his view on the ground.

#

Carol's sob broke through the air, she slumped over the hood of an abandoned vehicle, her face screwed in grief while she inspected the wording on the window screen. Betty shuddered at the noise, she gritted her teeth and glanced over at Daryl, he too seemed uncomfortable with Carol's cries.

"Hell, I'm sure she jus' got lost sum where" Daryl muttered, a small attempt at trying to reassure the older woman.

Carol stifled a sob, she smiled at Daryl briefly and allowed Andrea to lead her to Dale's RV.

Betty inched towards the RV, only to have Daryl grab her arm and pull her back.

"Where ya thank yer goin'?" He asked gruffly.

Betty's face twisted in confusion, "Huh?"

Daryl smirked and inclined his head towards Merle's motorbike. Betty stared at him in shock, she shook her head wildly but Daryl was already dragging her towards the suddenly intimidating bike. He forced her on to the bike, even lifting her leg over it for her.

He slipped behind her, shouldered his crossbow and placed his hands over hers. She jumped in fright when her hands were placed on the handles, squirming as Daryl started the motorbike to life. His chuckle vibrated through his chest and surged into her, she tensed up and his chin brushed across her cheek.

"C'mon" He coaxed, "Ya wanted ta learn"

Betty took in a deep breath and nodded, she placed her feet on the pedals and Daryl pushed them off. With his hands over hers, he helped add more speed while she steered down the highway. At one point she had closed her eyes, nearly sending them into the guard railing. Daryl had kept his patience, until his hands weren't needed and she was doing just fine on her own.

He took this opportunity to study the back of her, his hands were clutching to the seat while his eyes roamed over it. He was glad he forced her to do it, Merle always said "Thar ain't nuthin' hotter than a girl who can ride" and he was right.

Betty followed after the RV until they reached the farm's long dirt road. From there, she catapulted the motorcycle forward and sped the rest of the way to the Greene Farm. Daryl was grinning from ear to ear as the engine's noise ripped through the ear and their hair was flying behind them like capes. She drove all the way to the house, stopped the motorcycle like an expert and turned it off.

Daryl got off first, only to watch her slide herself off with the small denim shorts she wore. His eyes ran over her, but this time, she caught him. Maybe it was from the sudden adrenalin rush, or sun stroke, whatever it was, it made her flick her hair over her shoulder and give Daryl a sultry wink. His mouth just about dropped right open then.

She swayed past him, finding Rick observing from the doorstep.

"Yer boy doin' alrigh'?" She asked.

Rick nodded, a smile of relief on his face. "Just fine." He assured.

Betty's shoulders sagged with relief, she nodded and scratched the back of her neck.

"Hershel, the owner, he says we can set up here while we search for Sofia and Carl recovers" Rick added. Betty nodded again, she turned towards Johnny's vehicle that was parked beneath a tree. "Oh and Liz"

"Yes?" She sighed irritably.

"I'm sorry for what Lori said" He muttered.

"Rick!" Lori gasped from behind him. Rick's face paled and Betty almost spluttered with laughter. She turned away from them as they started to bicker, a smug smirk stretching her lips. Rick could never win.

She took long strides to Johnny's vehicle, pulling out one tent and leaving the other for Valerie and Johnny to share. The others had started setting up camp too, and from what Betty could see, they were setting up close to Hershel's house.

She wrinkled her nose and pulled her tent further away from the group, she found a nice place beside a broken chimney. She set up her tent and threw her gear inside, she checked around the area and decided she would put up some booby traps near the fringe of trees a bit away from her tent.

Just as she was placing an wire between the trees surrounding her tent, Daryl came over with his bike.

"Aye" He hollered.

Betty straightened up, "Wha'?" she asked.

"I'm puttin' ma tent 'ere" He said, he got off his bike and indicated to the tent strapped to the back of it.

"Na ye ain't, ah was already 'ere" She argued.

Daryl gave her a challenging look, "Well I'm puttin' mine over 'ere" He retorted. He took his tent to the other side of the chimney, he pitched it and gave her a pointed look before wheeling his bike over to his small camp.

Betty rolled her eyes at him, "Men" She muttered.

She had finished her booby traps near the dense fringe of bushland, when she was swiftly knocked to the side and a pang of hurt surrounded her temple.

"Wha' tha hell?" She groaned.

"Shit!"

Betty's arm was pulled and she was standing up, feeling briefly dizzy. She glared up at Daryl who stared at her with concern.

"Sorry!" He said urgently, he bent down and grabbed the offending weapon. It was a can of sliced fruit, "Ah didn't mean ta hit ya"

"That's generally wha' 'appens when ya throw things ye moron" She snapped. She rubbed her temple and Daryl looked truly apologetic. He led her back to her camp and sat her down at a camp fire that hadn't been there before. She frowned and glanced around, Daryl had moved his tent closer to hers and created a small bon fire for them.

"Ye did this?" She exclaimed.

Daryl scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "Ye, thought it'd be safer if we're together" He mumbled. Betty glanced up and he flushed, "Not like that, ah ain't tryna-"

"Wha' ye sayin' ah ain't good 'nuff ta be wit ya?" She pretended to be angry, but really she wanted to see him fluster.

"Naw ah ain't sayin' that, ah jus', well yer pretty 'n ah-"

He was kneeled next to her and Betty grabbed his face and pressed her lips against his. He stopped his rambling and in surprise froze, instantly he kissed her back but she pulled away and grinned at him.

"Ah know ye didn't mean it" She stated, she looked at the can he had and she opened it with a knife.

"Yeah?" He asked, he was wondering how she could go back to normal after kissing him.

"Ya dun thank ah can feel when yer checkin' me out? Ah know yer where when we was on tha bike" She snickered and Daryl's flushed again. Betty didn't know where this confidence was coming from. She stood up and placed the can down and turned towards her tent.

"Sorry" Daryl apologised.

"Dun be, ah like it" She said softly.

Daryl stared at her, he didn't register anything she said until she was about to hop into her tent. He raced forward and grabbed her arm tightly, he swung her back around to face him and closed the space between took in a sharp breath and Daryl took it as his cue to lean it.

He kissed her hard, his tongue licked along her bottom lip before he gained entrance and tangled with hers. She moaned into it, realising that his hands had wrapped around her and was holding her close to his body. His body went into primal mode, instantly gripping her even tighter while his lips pulled from hers and he lifted her up. She squeaked in surprise but her legs twined around his waist nether less.

His mouth attacked her jaw, sending kisses all the way to her neck, where he sucked on her gently. She arched into him, all too aware of the heat being created in her stomach. His hands moved to her bottom, supporting her weight while he kneaded it gently. It was a perfect ass, something he knew he was gonna like seeing on his bike more often.

Daryl carried her over to the bench chair beside the fire, he sat down while she straddled his lap. He kissed along her collarbone while her hips made a circular motion on his lap. He groaned, thrusting upwards without control. She moaned quietly, before her hips froze and his kisses stilled.

She leapt up and he covered the almost erection he had, he crossed his legs while Johnny appeared out of the trees. Daryl blessed him for having loud footsteps.

Johnny stared between the two, concerned with why they both had matching pink cheeks.

"Ah, Carol has some chores fer ya" He said hesitantly, directing his voice towards Betty.

She nodded quickly and Johnny awkwardly inched out of their camp. She looked at Daryl briefly before setting off towards the camp.

"Later?" Daryl suggested after her. She snickered and nodded in approval.

Daryl glanced at her as she started to walk after Johnny, he raced forward and turned her around more gently this time and stared at her seriously.

"Ah ain't naw prince charming" He said softly.

Betty cocked her head to the side. "Good, 'cause ah ain't naw bitch in distress" She replied.

Daryl grinned and released her. Betty could get use to this kind of courting.


	26. Later

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Shane sat down with a huff, he rubbed his face tiredly and lent his back against the tree. Valerie was by his side, comforting him by rubbing his shoulders while he watched Betty storm away from the house. He smiled briefly, remembering it was the exact way she use to storm off when they were kids. His smile faltered and he grimaced, his stomach clenched at the thought of their childhood together.

"What's wrong Shane?" Valerie asked softly, her cheek rested on his shoulder.

"Liz just got into another argument with Lori" He sighed, he inched away from her slightly. Valerie sighed as well, she watched Betty disappear into the fields.

"I don't understand why she is so angry with you and Rick" She revealed, her curious eyes gazed at Shane. He ducked away from them and cleared his throat. "It's not like you made her go to Juvi or made her family move away" She added.

Shane's stomach clenched and he hummed in agreement.

"She's just being a drama queen" Valerie added.

#

Johnny and Daryl had gone out searching for Sofia on Rick's orders, leaving the rest of the camp to set up and complete their daily chores. Betty had gone in and checked on Carl, only to end up having another argument with Lori and getting both Shane and Rick in to split it up. Betty had been carted outside, not before flipping off Lori to the Greene family's horror.

Betty had gone out in the middle of the fields, secluding herself from the group while she watched Valerie and Shane from afar. They were sitting beneath a tree conversing to themselves, Shane was dressed in a pair of baggy overalls while Valerie clung to him affectionately. She turned her attention away with disgust, instead rising from the fields and making her way over to the campsite.

Carol was washing dishes, her face drawn down into a frown while she kept herself hidden. She jolted with surprise when Betty picked up a dish and started to wash beside her, she glanced up at the younger woman hesitantly and resumed her activities. After an awkward silence, Betty sucked in a breath.

"Look Carol" Betty murmured, she scratched the back of her neck while Carol froze. "Ah ain't exactly been tha most sensitive on tha subject of.." She trailed off and Carol sniffed loudly. "Basically wha' ah wan' ta say is that I'm sorry fer bein' insensitive 'n snappin' at ye" She apologised quickly.

Carol's eyebrows fused together and she sniffed again.

"We'll fin' yer liddol girl" She added, "It's only a matter of time. She ain't stupid"

Carol's eyes welled with tears and Betty stepped away hesitantly.

"Ah know ah run ma mouth buh' ah didn't thank it upset ya tis much" She mumbled warily.

Carol spun around and outstretched her arms. Betty instinctively flinched away and squeezed her eyes shut, she was expecting a hit only to be enveloped in a soft but firm hug. The front of her shirt dampened and she realised that Carol was hugging her tightly and sobbing freely into her shirt. Betty awkwardly freed her arms and placed them around Carol, patting her back shortly whilst staring around for any signs of help.

Luckily, Carol pulled away and struggled to compose herself. She beamed up at Betty and wiped at her eyes frantically.

"Thank you Betty, that mean't a lot" She croaked.

Betty awkwardly smiled, "Any time, ah guess" She muttered.

Fortunately for Betty, Carol kept to herself. Betty had decided it upon herself to keep Carol's mind off of her missing child, she took her around to help the Greene's with their house, even introducing herself to Hershel's two daughters, family friend and the youngest daughter's boyfriend. Betty considered it to be a productive day as she accompanied Carol down to a tree that the group was gathering around.

Down by the tree, there was a bunch of stones packed into a wheel barrow.

"Wha's tis fer?" Betty wondered aloud as she stepped closer to the tree.

"It's for Otis" Rick pitched in.

"'n who is Otis?" Betty asked snootily. She watched as Rick, Shane, Patricia and Jimmy started piling stones into a small ritualistic burial mountain.

"Otis is Patricia's late husband" Hershel explained, "Last night when Shane went to retrieve medical items for Carl, Otis died in the process"

"Oh" Was all Betty could say.

At that moment, Johnny and Daryl retuned, shaking their heads. _No luck_. Carol dry sobbed before scurrying off towards the RV, Lori in tow. Betty watched them go before her gaze flickered back to Daryl, he was watching her intently, his head cocked to the side while his eyes were clouded with an unknown emotion. Betty nibbled on her lip, her eyes fell to the ground and she avoided his intense gaze.

As the group stood there and paid their respects to a man who sacrificed his life for Carl, Hershel read from an old black bible. Betty could feel Daryl's gaze on her, she cringed beneath it and her eyes remained on the stone mound. She wouldn't be able to avoid it much longer, or the heat pooling in her stomach either.

_Later._

Daryl's voice echoed through her head, almost like a chant. She nibbled on her lip further, all too aware that she was fidgeting. She wanted this funeral over, she wanted Hershel to shut up...she wanted Daryl.

Shane stepped forward, his guns tucked into his overall pockets while he placed a stone on top of Otis' burial mound. He spoke hesitantly about the mysterious man's choice, his sacrifice and his plead for Shane to get home. Betty's head cocked to the side while she observed her old friend, his index finger was nabbing at his palm, breaking skin and small blood droplets leaked from the small wound.

She narrowed her eyes, something was definitely wrong here. Shane never did that unless he was nervous. She shook the negative thoughts from her head, Shane couldn't possibly be capable of hurting anyone besides wife-beating Ed. Could he?

She scoffed at the thought and was glad that the funeral ended when it did, otherwise she would of grown more suspicious. Betty took it as her time to leave once Otis' friends and family started to mourn him in a circle.

She strolled back to her tent, figuring that Daryl and Johnny were going to report back to Rick first. She rolled the thought of eating the can of fruit in her head, she certainly could eat after a long day of chores and heat. She licked her lips and hurried the rest of the way, only coming to a stop when her arm was roughly pulled and she was jolted to a stop.

She turned abruptly, finding Daryl staring at her expectantly.

"Daryl, wha' are ye doin'?" She asked in surprise.

"You" He said clearly, a new found confidence surging through him. Both of them were surprised when he captured her lips in a heated embrace. He practically threw his crossbow across their campsite and lifted her into his arms. She wasn't surprised by Daryl's strength, in fact, the fire in her stomach was relishing in the thought of his strength. He carried her to his tent whilst his tongue delved into her mouth and played with her own. He groaned as he slipped inside easily.

He placed her down on his coat urgently, quickly checking outside before zipping the tent shut, while she threw her jeans across his tent. Daryl groaned as he spotted her in black underwear, _it should be a curse to look that good in an apocalypse_, he thought. Little did he know, Betty was thinking the same thing. Daryl slid his jeans down, allowing them to join Betty's in a discarded pile. Betty assumed he was too impatient to take his shirt off, he lowered himself onto her and immediately pressed his hips against her core. She whimpered beneath him and he pressed his mouth against her jaw, licking a line from her earlobe to her collarbone.

She arched into him, already feeling dizzy from the thought of what was to come. He was incredibly hard against her leg, and Betty could make a fairly educated guess on its length. Now that's something you didn't need school for. She shifted herself against his leg and groaned at the sensation that ran from her core to her stomach.

Daryl's mouth hungrily moved against hers, his own hips grinding down on her and adding more fuel to the fire. His hand impatiently tore at her panties, throwing them over to her jeans while she was left open to him. He pulled away from her lips and stared down at her, almost completely losing himself then.

"Stop starin'" Betty muttered self consciously, she tried to cover herself up with her leg but Daryl was restraining it.

Daryl licked his lips and looked back up at her, his eyes were filled with want.

"I'm gon' taste ye later" He promised heatedly, before his fingers slid into her. Betty's hips buckled upwards and she sighed, her eyes closed while she arched into his touch. His lone finger was creating such fire that she didn't know if she was going to be able to handle what his boxers had to offer.

Daryl curled in a second finger, before relentlessly moving them in and out of her centre. Betty cried out from the touch as he dug deeper, finding a spot her own fingers couldn't reach. While Daryl continued his powerful touch, his other hand roughly pulled her bra off and his mouth latched onto her right breast. He gave as much attention to her breast as he did her core.

Betty was quickly on her way to release, her hips were thrusting upwards while Daryl moved his mouth to her other breast. Daryl switched his fingers to a different angle and Betty came undone beneath him. Her body writhed uncontrollably as her mouth gaped open and no sound came from her. Daryl helped her ride it out, even holding her down as her body tried to get away from his sweet touch.

Once she finished moving, he slid his fingers out and along her slit. She whimpered and watched him suck his fingers into his mouth greedily. She swore she saw everything through a haze of red lust. She dragged Daryl down on her, thrusting her tongue into his mouth while his hips pressed down on her sensitive core. She moaned into his mouth and he adjusted her trembling legs around his waist.

He gave no warning as he slid his boxers to his ankles, instead kissing her hard while he thrusted into her deeply. He swallowed the loud groans that ran through her throat. He gripped her thigh and lifted her leg up on his hip, he pulled back and pushed back down again. She whimpered against his lips, her hands digging into his ass and coaxing him along. When he started to go faster, his hips smacked so hard against her, she couldn't function.

Her head fell back and moans filled his tent, while his mouth claimed the flesh on her neck. He was so deep inside her, it felt as if he was pressing against her stomach. She was growing delirious as his hard thrusts never faltered or stopped.

He slid out and Betty barely registered her whine for him to slide back in. He flipped her over effortlessly, helping her to a stable position where she was on all fours. He then positioned himself behind her, teasing her gently before one arm circled her waist and thrusted back into her. His arm slam her back into him as his hips thrusted forward, the effect was making her almost scream in pleasure.

He brought his other hand into the game, placing his fingers over her centre and finding the exact pressure and pace to match his thrusts. She felt the build of her second orgasm, this one much stronger than the first. Betty was scared that her screams would alert the walkers and the group, so she lower her torso and buried her mouth into Daryl's pillow. Daryl groaned at the change of angle, pushing himself even deeper inside of her than he thought he could go.

Her whole body tightened around him and her thighs spasmed. Daryl swore at how tightly she squeezed him, digging his hands into the soft flesh of her ass. Betty moved her hand beneath her, grabbing Daryl's balls and massaging them firmly. Needing him to release, needing him to feel the pleasure he was creating for her. As soon as her hand touched him, he slammed into her even harder, his hand creating a handprint against her ass.

His face was so twisted in pleasure that he became barely recognisable. Betty clamped down hard on him, he swore and his hands moved to her hips. The last thirty seconds were hard and fast, the noises that pushed past his lips and got caught in his throat as he came made her throb around him. She milked every last drop out of him, before collapsing onto Daryl's cot, and burying her face into his pillow with exhaustion.

She felt the bed shift and Daryl laid down beside her, panting heavily as his hand stroked her back softly. Betty placed her arm over his chest, and turned her head to look at him. His eyes were closed while one fray strand of hair was splayed across his forehead.

Betty's hand darted out and she brushed it aside, her fingers lingering over his face before she moved her hand away. Daryl glanced over at her, a small smile stretched his lips and he nodded at her.

"Amazing" He breathed, and Betty hummed in agreement.

She rolled onto her back and stared up at the tent ceiling, hoping that no one in camp had heard the amount of noise they had created. Thinking about the group, made her think about Shane, as inappropriate as it was at this point.

"Aye Daryl" She mumbled.

"Hmm?" He grunted.

"Jus' wanted ta ask if ye thank sumthin' was up wit Shane" She wondered aloud.

Daryl stared at her seriously, "Are ye kiddin' me? Righ' now yer thankin' 'bout him?" He questioned.

Betty rolled her eyes and looked at him seriously, "C'mon, ye know he was actin' strange at tha funeral" She stated.

Daryl closed his eyes again and grunted. They were silent for a long time, Betty was sure that Daryl had fallen asleep. He turned briefly, making his body face her as he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Keep away from Shane" He said clearly.

Betty frowned and looked over at him. He flushed briefly and he glanced away, "-'cause ah dun' trust a man who comes home wit 'nother man's gun who he claims sacrificed himself" He clarified.

Betty nodded and she shifted herself so she was closer to Daryl. He smiled briefly.


	27. Fights

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Daryl and Betty had awoken the next day, starting the sunny morning with another round of sex. They had come out of Daryl's tent, fresh faced with exuberant smiles. Their smiles never faded as Rick split them up and sent out groups to look for Sofia. They had searched hours but were left empty handed when they returned. Carol's sobs hadn't stopped and she rocked the RV with her emotional distress.

What had turned out to be a great morning, was slowly turning into a bitter day.

Betty had been stationed up on the RV for watch while Daryl was off hunting, admittedly she just wanted to run off into the woods and jump him. She sighed and shifted impatiently in her chair, there was only a few hours before she would be able to get off watch. She lounged back and took in the farm from her position, the farm itself was beautiful, wide green fields and oak trees as well as a small pond.

"Liz"

Her observation was cut off and she looked to the side irritably. Rick was clambering onto the RV, he sat down in front of her and stared at her seriously.

"Wha' do ye wan' now?" She sighed rudely, she scooted herself away slightly.

Rick ignored her tone and scratched the back of his neck, "I want to talk to you about something" He mumbled, he watched her raise a eyebrow irritably and he sighed. "About the church" He elaborated.

Betty's face paled and she looked away from him, her eyes transfixed on the fringe of trees further away.

"No" She whispered.

Rick shuffled forward, his eyes filled with concern. "Tell me Liz. What happened? Why were you so afraid to go into that church" Rick asked, he watched Betty's mouth form a tight line. "You never set foot in a church again since she died. Why?" He pressed, indicating towards their dead grandmother.

Betty's mood darkened and whatever scared emotion she had, was long gone. Rick watched her guard go up, her jaw clenched while her eyes turned cold. She didn't say anything, just stared back at her brother with animosity.

"As if ye dun know" She sneered.

Rick tilted his head to the side, "I know you fell into her casket, but that's hardly something to traumatise someone" Rick added softly.

Betty fired up instantly. "Ah didn't fall, our 'wonderful' mother pushed me 'n then ah fell. Hardly sumthin' ta traumatise someone? Ah dun' believe ye 'ad yer deceased grandmother fall on ya 'n then get slapped 'round by-" Betty trailed off and she looked down.

Rick's mouth was the shape of an 'o', he stared at her speechless while she tried to gather herself.

"Pushed? Slapped around?" He questioned. "What do you mean?" He added with a whisper.

Betty looked at him with complete shock, "Ye 'aven't known this entire time?" She shook her head, "Our parents never liked me, mum verbally abused me 'n dad wanted nuthin' ta do wit me afta tha funeral. Ah apparently embarrassed 'im, 'n ever since that, ah ain't never wanted ta step into a church, 'cause ah dun wan' ta relive those memories" She revealed.

Rick stared up at his sister who was struggling to contain all the emotions she was feeling.

"Jus' go Rick, ah ain't got time ta fer this" She muttered.

Rick hesitantly got up, when he looked back at her, her face was normal and all the emotions she had shown, were gone. He got off the RV, and dazedly walked back to Lori's tent, catching Daryl walking around the RV to the camp fire.

He stopped when he spotted Rick, giving him a short nod before bowing his head and taking a seat near Carol.

#

By the time Betty had gotten off watch, the group had gathered around the camp fire and were cooking Daryl's catch of the day; squirrel. She took a seat beside Johnny, thanking him as he passed her a plate of squirrel. The group was immersed in silence, before being interrupted as Shane stormed over to the group. He was clearly irritated, sending Rick aggravated glances as he joined the group.

"Squirrel as usual?" Shane grumbled, taking a seat beside Valerie while she jumped up and got him a plate. Shane made a disgusted noise with his meal and Daryl shifted angrily in his seat. Betty wrinkled her nose at Shane and he immediately caught her doing it. "Problem Liz?" He asked irritably.

Betty narrowed her eyes at him, "Perhaps ye should go out 'n catch yer own damn meal" She snipped.

Shane gave her a wry smirk, "Ain't that cute. Sticking up for your boyfriend now" He taunted.

Betty clenched her hands into fists, but remained silent, her cheeks flushing briefly. Shane chortled to himself while Valerie sent her warning looks. Betty glanced over at Daryl who was staring back at her, he glanced away quickly and stared down at his meal.

The rest of dinner was filled with a tense silence, Dale tried to break it but it only ended with Shane making another snarky remark towards Betty. After dinner, Betty was surely going to give Shane a piece of her mind. After dinner, Betty offered to clean up, having let the whole Shane thing go. She took Daryl's plate and was washing up beside Carol, when Shane bumped her from behind.

She turned irritably, only to scoff and turn back to the bucket of water she was washing dishes in. Shane glared at her, he came up behind her and cleared his throat.

"Cleaning up after your boyfriend too Liz?" Shane mocked, "Didn't take you for the house wife type"

Betty turned instantly, "Ah didn't take yer fer tha type of guy who bangs yer 'best friend's' wife" She remarked angrily. "Guess we're both surprised" She turned and looked at Shane, finding Valerie glaring at her furiously as well. She mouthed a 'no' to her, but it fell on deaf ears.

Shane's eyebrows flew up, "Watch your mouth Liz" He warned, he stepped closer to her while Betty glanced at Valerie. Why wasn't she doing anything?

"Or wha' Shane, ye gonna arrest me officer?" She sneered bitterly. "Wha's yer problem?" She directed at the pair of them, curious as to why they were so hostile towards her.

"Our problem is you. We're just about sick and tired of your snide remarks. Why don't you stop blaming everyone else and just admit that its only your fault you went to Juvi and your parents deserted you" Valerie sneered.

Betty narrowed her eyes at Valerie and barely registered her hand lashing out and smacking Valerie in the face. It was the type of smack that would leave a bruise for a few days, one that would swell Valerie's eye shut and turn it a ghastly dark purple. A sob broke out of Valerie's mouth and the group gasped in surprise.

Betty stepped back, unfazed by the tears that leaked from Valerie's eyes.

"No wonder you went to Juvi, you lunatic" Valerie cried openly whilst Shane placed a arm around her shoulder.

"Maybe ye will thank b'fore ye open yer mouth" Betty snarled before she stormed off towards her tent.

Why the hell was Valerie acting up? She thought angrily, she had been a quiet girl they had saved back in New Orleans, now she was this corrupted monster who said mean things. Betty fused her eyebrows together and took a seat at her campfire, her hands were shaking with anger. Valerie knew that was a sensitive topic, how could she be so cruel?

She crossed her arms angrily, not even bothering to look over her shoulder as someone approached her.

"Hey" Daryl greeted gruffly, he slid into the seat beside her and watched her warily. She grunted at him and he shifted in his seat, he wasn't sure what to say to her. "Told ye ta keep away from 'im" Daryl muttered.

"Thank ya captain hindsight" She retorted bitterly.

Daryl chewed on his lip thoughtfully, "Why'd ye slap Valerie?" He asked curiously.

Betty glanced at him,surprised to find his eyes wide with curiosity as he lent forward. It was enough to make a small part of her anger fizzle away. She relaxed her shoulders, leaning back casually with comfort.

"She's jus' bein' nasty, ah dunno wha' got into her" She explained with embarrassment.

"Shane's been gettin' into her, thats wha'." Daryl added and Betty nodded with agreement. "Pretty good punch ye got thar" Daryl said after a moments silence. Betty grinned at him, and he returned the smile.

"Thats how ah got ma nickname" Betty snickered.

"If Shane ever touches ya-" Daryl started heatedly.

Betty raised her hand, "Dun worry Daryl. Ah hope he touches me-" Daryl's eyebrows shot up and she smiled, "-It'll gimme an excuse ta show him why I'm called 'Black Eye' Betty" She laughed.

Daryl nodded with understand and shifted closer to her, his hand grazed over her knee and she couldn't help the excitement that jolted through her.

"Ah dun' like Shane" He admitted, "A bit sketchy fer me" He added.

"Ah dun' like wha' he's turnin' Valerie into" Betty agreed, her voice trailed off as Daryl started creating soft patterns on her knee with his hand. His fingers trailed up her leg, stopping on her inner thigh where the pressure of the patterns increased.

"Ah feel bad 'bout hittin' here though" She admitted quietly, as his hand neared the zip on her jeans.

"Then lemme make ye feel good" Daryl murmured as his lips grazed her jaw. "Lemme make ye feel good." His fingers nudged her zipper down. He held her gaze as he pulled her onto his lap, making her straddle him while his roamed within her pants.

"Out here?" She breathed with uncertainty, she glanced over his shoulder and could make out the faint lines of figures back at the main camp. Daryl made a noise of frustration as his lips traced a line across her jaw. He glanced up at her and rolled his eyes, he kept his arm around her back as he lifted himself out of his chair with her wrapped around his waist.

This time he took her back to her tent, leaving a strewn pile of clothing in his wake. Both of them were panting with want as soon as he threw her down on the coat and rolled his jeans down to his ankles. He wasn't going to stimulate her, instead he lowered himself over her and shifted his hips. However, Betty turned the tables on him and flipped him over so he was lying flat on the bed.

She discarded her underwear, before straddling his hips again and keeping her eyes on Daryl. He licked his lips in anticipation as she lent forward and kept her mouth only inches from his. She rubbed herself against him and he immediately hardened fully, his hips adjusting themselves beneath her.

She kissed him gently, before he hungrily took hers and filled her mouth with his tongue. It got Betty thinking as heat pooled in her stomach, how the hell was Daryl Dixon this good?

He grabbed her hips tightly, lifting her up and slamming her back down onto him. She cried out in surprise, her back arched backwards while her hands fell flat against his chest. Daryl almost came from the visual, he watched her close her eyes while he dug in his fingers into the flesh of her hips. He slammed up into her and her eyes flew open, staring down at them and Daryl was almost speechless.

They fired up instantly, and she dropped her hands from his chest to either side of his head. She pressed her chest against his, while she rode him fiercely. She kept her eyes locked on his, watching his flutter as he tried to keep his eyes on her. He licked his lower lip while he bear hugged her, keeping her tightly against him as she rode so hard, that they both were quickly coming to their release.

"Make me feel good" She moaned, sending his promise back to him.

She thought she saw his eyes flash with lust, as he flipped her onto her back, hooking his arms under hers while he drove into her. She wrapped her legs around his torso, holding her heels together above his as as he went at her hard to make her scream. He deepened his thrusts, making her pant and squirm and dig her nails into his arms.

She brought her lips up to him, kissing him hard and deep while his hips continued their assault. She moaned into his mouth and Daryl slammed himself further into her. Kissing him heightened everything, it sent every nerve ending into overdrive.

She could stop crying out when she finally broke away from his lips. Her back arched off the bed while he scooped her hips up into him. She felt him pulse inside of her and then the warmth that came with his finish. Getting off at the same time made her go blind with the sensations that ran through both of them.

"Oh shit, oh my-" She trailed off as he collapsed on top of her, his sweat dampened hair flat against her chest. Her body was quivering with the shocks of the aftermath, and he was holding onto her while she started to come down.

They came down slowly, hanging in their pleasured states for a small amount of time. He slid out slowly and rolled onto his back, keeping himself close to her as exhaustion started to rock through her.

"Where tha hell did ya come from?" She wondered aloud in her pleasured state. Daryl chuckled and closed his eyes, sending warmth through Betty's stomach.


	28. Rick's Revelation

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Tensions were high in the group, it had been three days since the fallout. Valerie and Betty weren't talking, and Betty was sending Shane angry glares whenever she could. Johnny had been put in the middle of the conflict, unsure of which side to pick. He had decided to keep out of it, instead occupying himself with searching for Sofia and helping around camp more often.

Daryl had been keeping her occupied, even if they weren't having sex, he would take her out into the woods and teach her how to use his crossbow. If they found a small pond, he'd teach her how to fish or even showed her the differences between medicinal plants and poisonous. He had kept her away from Valerie and Betty had been extremely grateful, repaying him by showing up naked to his tent at midnight.

Betty had been left alone at the camp, Daryl and Johnny had left on another one of their search parties, leaving her to brood while she washed another load of dirty clothes. She kept her head bowed, refusing to engage in any conversation until she had made a big enough dent in the washing. She was certain that Valerie had been sending her glares from across the camp, it only made her work harder to get out of there quickly.

She continued to work, often daydreaming about her latest sexual act with Daryl. She felt her cheeks flush and she focused back on her work until her peace was disturbed and someone was clearing their throat. She glanced up, spotting Rick shifting his weight in front of her with a nervous look on his face. He regarded her hesitantly before crouching down to her level and sighing.

"I heard you slapped Valerie pretty hard" He said softly, his voice almost resembling a parent-like tone.

Betty's eyebrows crushed together, she glanced up at him quickly. "'n ye 'ave also heard that she deserved it" She retorted indignantly.

Rick's eyes flashed with amusement, "Did she really Liz?" He asked. He started to help her wash the remaining clothes she had in her pile, he was surprised she even let him help her. She kept silent before stopping in her place.

"She did"

Rick watched her for a moment, "What could she of possibly done or said to make you want to give her a black eye and bruised cheek?" He asked curiously. Rick was honestly up to talk about anything, to hear her voice and to see her talk was a miracle. He had missed her so much.

"She told me ah should quit complain', said it was ma own damn fault that ah went ta juvi 'n our parents deserted me" She said quietly, she looked up at him hesitantly and saw a brief sympathetic look in his eyes.

"Maybe she's right" He said.

Betty's face hardened and she scoffed, "'Course ye'd thank that, ye deserted me too"

Rick stopped his actions and stared at her until she glanced back at him. "Liz, I know you've had a troubled childhood and possibly your early adult years. I honestly think it would be better for you if you just stopped holding these grudges, and stop blaming me for you going to juvi. Otherwise you'll turn into a bitter woman" Rick said gently. He winced after he said it, hoping Betty wouldn't blow up on him.

He was surprised when her shoulders sagged.

"I'm not mad at ye fer me going ta Juvi Rick" She snapped, "Ah went ta Juvi 'cause ah broke into someones house tryna git yer damn toy"

"My toy?" He frowned at her.

"Yeah that expensive action figure mum 'n dad brought ya. Ye lost it cos that Billy Hughes stole it"

"Liz, I never lost that toy" Rick said after a moments silence.

"What?" She said with disbelief.

"Liz, that toy is stashed away in my closet at my house" Rick told her, his eyes widened. "Please don't tell me you broke into their house, beat Billy up and stole a lot of expensive things from them just to get my action figure"

Betty's face flashed with horror. She stuffed all of the clean clothing into a basket and stood upright. She grabbed the basket and backed away from Rick, her mind spun and she turned away from him.

"Liz!" Rick called after her, but she was already scurrying away.

#

Johnny came back to camp to find Betty hanging up washing, her hands were shaking and he spotted Rick in the background staring at her. His first response was to stand in front of her, blocking her from Rick's vision while he asked her what was wrong.

"Nuthin's wrong" She lied angrily, she started to shove the clean washing on the line.

"Why do ah feel like yer lyin' ta me" Johnny wondered aloud, he glanced over at Valerie and then back at her. "Ye 'ave 'nother fight wit Val?" He asked her.

Betty shook her head, "Ah ain't talkin' ta her righ' now" She mumbled. She looked over her shoulder at him and cracked a smile, "How did tha search go?" She asked.

Johnny could see straight through her question though, "Dun try ta change tha subject. Tell me whas wrong" He ordered.

Betty glanced up at him, he thought he saw her lip tremble but he wasn't sure. Her face flashed with brief horror before she put her walls up and turned back to the clothes line. Johnny came closer to her.

"Tell me" He said softly.

Betty sighed, her voice wavering. "Ah thank ah went ta Juvi fer no reason" She admitted.

* * *

**Sorry for the short chapter, one coming out soon!**


	29. A Weeks Worth Of Pleasure

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

After Rick's revelation, Betty had tried to get the thought of out of her mind. She was going to do anything to keep it out, that anything was Daryl Dixon. It had started with flirty stares across the fire, before Daryl had her pushed up against the bar and made her forget her own damn name. She couldn't get enough of him, throughout the week he had her begging him for more. Betty's cheeks were coated in red as she thought about them, Daryl certainly made her feel like a woman.

"Betty!"

Betty jumped with surprise and she looked at Rick over the hood of the wagon. His eyes were trained on her expectantly, Andre and Shane on either side of him with curious looks. She felt her cheeks grow hotter and she chewed on her lip.

"Yeah?" She asked hesitantly.

"You and Daryl are going out on this section" Rick pointed towards an uncharted territory and looked back up at her. "You okay with that?" He asked. She could tell he was concerned, this was the first time he was talking to her since their last encounter.

She nodded mutely, turning her attention to the pick axe leaning against her leg. She shouldered it and followed Daryl who was already halfway to the fringe of trees. He slowed down for her, letting her join his side before restarting his fast pace. She glanced at him, surprised to find a frown crushing his eyebrows together.

"Ye alrigh'?" She asked, tilting her head to the side curiously.

Daryl glanced over at her, his eyes softening briefly. "Ye talked ta Shane lately?" He asked, his tone was almost bitter.

"Naw"

"Well he was lookin' at cha funny." Daryl remarked, he turned his attention back to the woods ahead of him.

"Ah ain't talked ta him or Valerie." She retorted.

Daryl grunted, satisfied with her comment. He couldn't help the frustration that had bubbled in his stomach, nor could he contain the anger he felt when he saw Shane staring at Betty. He knew it wasn't romantic, but that didn't stop his stomach churning irritably.

They kept walking through the woods, only talking when Daryl passed her his crossbow and let her shoot down a few squirrels. He kept himself in the front, keeping guard of her even when she was fully capable of taking care of herself. He stopped suddenly when a house came into view, sending Betty straight into his back.

"Ouch!" She complained, rubbing her face tenderly.

Daryl rolled his eyes at her and raised his crossbow, he stepped towards the house cautiously with Betty right by his side. He took his time entering the house, checking the front area and rechecking it again. They kept their movements quiet and their voices low.

Betty sauntered past Daryl, taking her position in the front room and rummaging through the left over objects in the room. Daryl went upstairs and checked through all the bedrooms, only finding a nearly empty packet of condoms and a toothbrush. He pocketed the two items and came downstairs, checking on Betty. His eyebrows flew up when he found her bent over, flicking her way through an old stack of books.

His eyes roamed towards her legs and upwards. She was wearing his favourite pair of small denim shorts, they rode up her legs and emphasised one of Daryl's favourite parts of her body; her ass. He licked his lips and moved into the front room, quickly checking outside the windows and then closing the doors.

"Wha' tha hell are ye doin'?" Betty laughed whilst watched Daryl race around the room. He looked at her quickly and she frowned, sobering up at his serious look. "Wha's yer problem?" She asked more seriously.

Daryl stormed up to her and grabbed her hips, his hands dug into her skin.

"These are ma problem" He drawled, his fingers flicked over her waist band.

A smirk crossed over Betty's features and she pulled away from Daryl's grasp. She took off to the other side of the room and faced him, she unbuttoned the top of her shorts and then unzipped them but she didn't remove them.

"Wha', these?" She asked incredulously.

She shook her hips, sliding the shorts down painfully slow. Daryl watched with baited breath while the shorts slid down her legs inch by inch. He had already hardened in his pants when they slipped off her calf and she discarded them on the ground.

"Got a problem now?" She asked cheekily.

Daryl nodded mutely, his eyes glued on her. Betty grinned and she pulled at her small underwear, raising her eyebrow at Daryl questionably. He nodded again, and she almost snickered at his raised eyebrows.

"Ye should learn ta deal wit yer own problems" She said softly. She raised her hand and beckoned Daryl forward.

He stormed up to her, taking a firm grab of her rear and pulling her flush against him. She could feel his hot breath on her cheek and she squirmed in his hold, heat already pooling in her stomach. He grabbed the waistband of her panties and stared at her, seeing a small hint of challenge in her eyes.

"Ye man 'nuff?" She questioned quietly.

Daryl grunted and ripped them down her legs, throwing them across the room while pulling her to the other side of the room. His legs hit the back of something solid and he went crashing down onto an aged sofa. He pulled her down on him, forcing her to straddle him while he released himself from his pants with relief. He went to attack her neck with his lips but she stopped him abruptly, grabbed his shaft and tugged on it firmly.

He groaned and his head fell back, his hips involuntarily thrusting up.

"Tis gotta be quick, Ricks expectin' us back soon" Betty murmured, she lent down and captured Daryl's lips while her hands continued their delicious strokes. He was already panting with want when she lowered herself onto him, sliding him in slowly so she could feel every inch of him.

He gripped her hips tightly, slamming her down the rest of the way. She covered her mouth to contain the loud moan, squeezing her eyes shut as Daryl controlled the pace of both of them. She rocked her hips against his and his thrusted upwards, her lips finding his while her tongue massaged his own. He groaned into her mouth once he felt her contract around him, and he sped his pace up.

Daryl started to relentlessly moved his hips up and down, digging his hands into the flesh of her hips while she her moans started to increase in volume. She broke the kiss and her head fell back, her eyes fluttering shut almost rolling back into her head.

Daryl finally got his lips on her neck, sucking the skin into his mouth and nibbling at the flesh. He could tell she was close as her chest start to raise and fall fast. One of his hands skimmed down her naval, rubbing at her exposed nub of nerves and bringing her to an explosive orgasm.

She saw stars as Daryl rode it out with her, finding his own release only seconds later. She clenched all around him, milking every last drop from him as he thrusted roughly into her. The sofa gave out and the pair sunk deeper and deeper into the cushions.

The pair barely noticed, they were panting heavily, sweat slick on their bodies as they clung tightly to one another. After a short time, Betty pulled herself off him, wiping at her brow while she scrambled over to her discarded clothing and pulled it on quickly. She started to snicker before she outright laughed.

"Wha' are ye laughin' 'bout?" Daryl asked, suddenly concerned for her sanity.

Betty gestured to the sofa, "We broke a sofa " She laughed.

Daryl tucked himself into his pants and glanced down at the sofa, "'n we probably alerted all tha dang walkers 'round 'ere, naw thanks ta ya" He added teasingly, he glanced over at her and she crossed her arms, an unimpressed look on her face.

"Ah recall ye bein' jus' as loud as me" She grumbled.

She brushed past him, making sure to give him a good view of her ass as she left. He followed after her, grunting in enjoyment and ignoring the wide smirk that crossed her lips. They moved into the kitchen area, surveying the last room of the entire house.

Betty opened the pantry door, her eyes widened when she realised there was a blanket and a open tin of food there. She glanced back at Daryl who was sharing the same thought as her; Sofia.

#

They had searched a couple more hours for Sofia, coming up with nothing but the small hiding space in the abandoned house. Although it wasn't much, it had put the camp in higher spirits and given Carol some relief. She had smiled for once, praising her daughter for being smart enough to choose an abandoned house.

While the majority had been away searching for Sofia, the woman of camp, excluding Andrea and Betty, had decided to set up a dinner. Maggie had invited them in and they served up a large meal, setting up their tables for the group to sit at.

Daryl had disappeared into Carol's RV when Betty eventually trailed up to the house. She took a seat at the far end of the table, avoiding sitting anywhere near Valerie or Shane. As Lori was serving her plate up for her, she took time to sneak a glance at Valerie. She was surprised to find that there was still severe bruising on her cheek. A smugness surged through her and she gave Lori a bright smile.

"Thanks!" She said cheerfully as Lori set her plate down for her.

Lori glanced between her and Valerie, her own sneaky smile flashing across her face. She nodded at Betty and sat down beside Rick.

The group was immersed in silence until Daryl and Carol entered the room. Daryl sat beside Betty while Carol sat across from them, and they were happy to see that Carol was still smiling.

"Maggie tells me you all found something today" Hershel said, he glanced around the table.

"Yes, Daryl and Liz found a hiding space in an abandoned house. We figured it was where Sofia had been" Rick said cheerfully.

"How can you be so sure?" Hershel asked. His eyes stopped on Daryl and Betty protectively touched his leg beneath the table.

"Because it could only accommodate someone of Sofia or Carl's size" Carol pitched in defensively.

Hershel sat back in his chair, regarding Daryl with an uncertain look. Betty felt him tense and she rubbed his leg in comfort. Hershel shrugged and glanced around the table, peering at each member.

"Well thank God" He praised, "At least theres some good news"

The awkward silence that had overtaken the room relaxed, the group went off into separate conversation while Betty and Daryl kept quiet.

Betty's fingers danced up his leg, until it was scraping along the inside of his thigh. She felt him tense under her touch, his arm was frozen, leaving his fork dangling from his hand while he gave her the side eye of the century.

She ate her dinner like nothing was happening, smiling to herself while her hand unzipped his pants and released him. He shifted his chair, bringing it closer to her and hiding her hand from sight. To anyone at the table it would look like Betty's hand was resting on her lap while she ate.

She stroked him slowly beneath the table, enjoying every minute of his struggle to contain the pleasure running through him. He brought his elbows onto the table and consumed his concentration with trying to eat anything off his plate. His hips started to rise with each long stroke she took, his eyes closed and he grunted quietly. Betty lent close to him, smirking to herself.

"Does tha' feel good Daryl?" She breathed.

Daryl hissed and she increased her pace, sending him slamming back into his chair. He chewed on his lip, his hands clenched into fists while his face was contorted with conflict. He was gaining some attention from a few members around the table, each one of them regarding him with confusion.

"Is he alright?" Betty heard Lori whisper to Rick, the pair of them staring at Daryl's odd behaviour.

Betty squeezed him beneath the table and he straightened up.

"Ooomph!" He grunted.

Her strokes were firm and fast, she could feel his body tensing at his oncoming release. She studied his face carefully, watching every ounce of restriction it took for him to hide any pleasure he was feeling. His neck was strained, his jaw clenched and his eyes were squeezing shut and opening wide.

He had gained everyones attention now, and for the finale, Betty twisted her hand and Daryl's balls clenched. Daryl lent forward and spluttered loudly, his coughs were to hide the groans he wanted to release.

Betty felt him coat her hand and she rode him out with fast strokes.

"Are you alright Daryl?" Carol asked with concern.

Betty grinned, the hand she had on the table awkwardly patted his back. "Yeah Daryl, are ye alrigh'?" She taunted.


	30. Your Scars

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Betty twitched and groaned, her brow furrowing as her blanket slid off her body and she was exposed to the muggy weather. She stirred from her sleep, huffing angrily as something rough brushed against her thigh. Her eyes snapped open and she groggily sat up, only to be pushed back down and her wrists restrained above her head. She panicked immediately only to see Daryl's handsome face in her view.

"I'm gunna git ye back fer last night!" Daryl drawled with a smirk.

Betty cracked a smile. Last night Daryl had stains in his jeans from his latest release, he had to rush out of the house before anyone would recognise them. He had been both irritated and turned on by Betty's act that he was conflicted in shouting at her or taking her against the side of the house. He had opted for silence and retreated to his tent for an early sleep.

Now his hand was splayed over her leg, edging its way to the inside of her thighs.

He glanced up at her, amusement flashing across his face as she chewed on her lip. His hand grazed over her underwear, pushing them aside so he could tease her lightly. Her hips rose for more contact but his hand retracted and he pushed her down.

"Dun move, or I'll stop" He ordered, a wicked grin on his face.

Betty narrowed her eyes at him, "Yer tha devil" She hissed. "Devil Dixon"

Daryl lent up and captured her lips, sucking her lower lip into his mouth before releasing it. He smirked down at her, aware of how glazed her eyes were. Her hips lowered and his hand went laid flat on her naval before sliding down back into her panties.

"Devil Dixon?" Daryl snickered, while his middle finger slid down her slit.

Her eyes fluttered shut and she nodded her head, "Thats yer new name" She grunted, she moved her legs apart, giving Daryl better access. He rubbed her lightly, barely just touching her with his fingers.

"Ah like it" He agreed.

His middle finger delicately teased her before entering her slowly. She bit down on a gasp, instead keeping her eyes on Daryl whose eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. She felt him curl up his finger and go deeper, hitting a spot she couldn't reach with her own. He moved his finger in and out of her, meanwhile his lips trailed over her neck and collarbone.

Her head rolled back, her arms struggling against the hold Daryl had on them. She wanted to raise her hips, but she knew Daryl kept to his word and this was the type of revenge she could get use to.

She could feel Daryl smirking against her skin as he pushed in another finger and curled it up to join the other. Betty swore under her breath as Daryl sucked on her skin and started to relentlessly move his fingers in and out of her. She squeezed her eyes shut, biting on her lip to contain the loud moans that were waiting to burst out. Daryl released her wrists, instead shoving her shirt up and moving his lips to her right breast.

He gave her chest even attention, never once faltering in his fingers movements.

It wasn't long till Betty's stomach was ignited with fire and her back arched off the bed. Daryl held her down, riding out her orgasm with her while she bit into her hand. He grunted at the visual and kissed her hard, a kiss that would definitely bruise.

When her high started to leave, he slid his fingers out and adjusted her panties on her. He was grinning smugly at her, watching as she narrowed her eyes at him. He pulled her shirt down and rose from his position by her bed.

Although there was a bulge in his pants, he slipped on a plaid shirt and shouldered his crossbow.

"Where are ye goin'?" She asked him. She sat upright and watched him turn towards the opening of the tent.

"I'm gunna take another route 'n see if ah can find Sofia" Daryl drawled, he watched as she started to gather her clothes from the corner of her tent. "Wha' ye doin'?" He asked her, frowning at her quick movements.

"Comin' wit ya. Ye shouldn't go alone" She said matter-of-factly.

Daryl stopped her immediately, "Naw ye ain't" He watched her furrow her eyebrows in confusion. "Yer gunna clean up 'round 'ere 'n prepare yerself fer me"

A smirk crossed her features, "Prepare maself fer ya?" She chortled.

"Fer ma revenge" He clarified.

He stepped out of the tent and Betty followed after him, "Buh' ye gave me ma revenge" She said with confusion. He turned and looked back at her, almost chuckling at the innocent expression in her eyes.

"Buh' ye enjoyed it too much" He said. He touched her chin briefly before walking away, "Be ready fer when ah git back!" He ordered over his shoulder. "'n if ye ain't, I'm gonna make ye pay" He added.

Betty felt her stomach leap at the thought of his 'payment' and she thought about not cleaning up. But playing games with Daryl was too fun and she was going to obey him, she was interested in the revenge he had in store for her.

Throughout the day she cleaned up their campsite, both hers and Daryl's tents were immaculate and there were new animal traps set up around the area. She had even helped out doing chores for Carol, aiding her in hanging up the washing and even having a decent conversation with the woman.

As Betty helped Carol clean up the RV for Sofia, she realised that she didn't miss Valerie's company at all. If anything, the younger girl had only dragged down the group. She hadn't exactly warmed up to the girl when they first recused her. She felt her stomach twinge with guilt, although Valerie wasn't a fighter, she had tried to cheer up Betty when they had found one of her friends walking dead in the middle of the street.

"WALKER!"

Betty jumped with fright, almost falling down with surprise. Carol helped her up however, ushering her out of the RV as the group's men sprinted past them. Betty looked up Andrea, watching the blonde peer down her rifle scope at a figure in the distance.

"Ye sure?" Betty asked cautiously.

Andrea rolled her eyes at Betty, she cocked her rifle and her finger laid on the trigger. Betty squinted her eyes, she watched Rick, Shane, Glen and T-Dog slow down as they neared the lone 'walker'.

"Andrea maybe ye shouldn't" She mumbled.

Andrea scoffed, "Leave it!" She commanded, before she aimed and fired.

Betty knew something was wrong when Rick started waving his hand in the air. He shouted "No" and they lent down to the figure. Betty's body ran cold as if she was drenched in freezing water, she barely registered Andrea leaping off the RV, as she sprinted past and made her way to the group of men.

"Oh fuck!" Betty gasped. She skidded to a stop in front of the men, spotting Daryl's arms around Rick and Shane's neck. He was covered in blood, walker ears and wasn't moving. The worse thought came into Betty's mind and she felt her heart stop.

She looked at Andrea who appeared behind her.

"Wha' tha fuck did ye do!" She shouted, shoving Andrea backwards.

"Is he-?" Andrea asked, unfazed by Betty's angry movements.

"Unconscious" Rick elaborated, giving Betty a knowing look.

Betty felt relief rush through her and she stepped aside, allowing Shane and Rick to brush past her. She followed after them, Andrea, Glen and T-Dog trailing after her. T-Dog had found Sofia's doll on the ground and each person was eager to find out what Daryl knew and what happened to him.

They dragged Daryl inside, and Betty was already fuming when Andrea approached her.

"Hey look, I'm sorry for shooting him" She apologised. "I guess I should of listened to Rick" She joked.

"Buh instead ye were on a power trip" Betty sneered. She faced Andrea and hostility was dripping off her. Andrea backed away, slightly frustrated with Betty and with being called out by the female.

"Look it was a mistake, no biggie" Andrea reassured.

"Mistake? Ye coulda killed him!" Betty shouted, she stormed forward and shoved Andrea in the chest.

"I told you I'm sorry, what more do you want from me?" She screeched.

"Sorry? Oh I'll make you sorry!" Betty snarled before lunging at her.

Betty knocked the blonde onto her back, winding the female fairly bad. Her fist came down on Andrea's face in a flurry, and from anyone watching, they could tell this was natural for the fiery brunette. Betty could barely register people shouting at her, her eyes were set on the blonde's bleeding nose in front of her.

She was dragged off Andrea, her knuckles bruised and her chest rising and falling quickly.

"Enough Betty!" Johnny's voice snapped her back into reality.

Betty relaxed in his arms as soon as she realised what she had done to Andrea. Her nose was leaking all over the place and her cheeks already swelling from the intense beating Betty had given her.

She watched Valerie help her up, being cautious not to touch Andrea's injured face. Andrea groaned, she lent all her weight on Valerie and her hand touched her face gingerly. A panicked cry escaped her lips, and Betty was sure Valerie looked pleased.

"It's alright Andrea, she's obviously a lunatic" Valerie said nastily.

#

Daryl lounged on the bed, his sheets were covering his chest while he laid on his back. He had made sure that no one bothered him, he was dealing with a pounding headache and felt like his sides were ripping at the seams. Whatever peace he had was interrupted as Betty stepped through the door and regarded him with a relieved expression.

"Oh thank Christ!" She exclaimed, she bounded over to him and stopped before his bed. "'bout time yer lazy ass got up"

Daryl narrowed his eyes at her, before he licked his lips and spotted a tray of food in her arms. She placed it down on his bedside table and took a seat on the bed, watching him carefully and handing him a glass of water.

There was silence between the two, before Daryl's eyes flickered down to her knuckles. He raised his eyebrow at her and she hid them behind her back, flushing briefly under his gaze.

"So its true" Daryl drawled, he placed his glass of water to the side and stared at her. "Ye beat up Andrea"

Betty's eyes fell to her lap, "Only 'cause she's stupid" She muttered. "She coulda damn well killed ya!" She added in her defence. She looked over at Daryl, and was surprised to find that he was smirking widely at her, a knowing look in his eye. She frowned at him.

"Thats hot" He admitted, and her frown disappeared.

She moved up the bed until she was hovering over him and planted a kiss on his lips. Her tongue swiped across his lower lip and he let her gain entrance, allowing her tongue to massage his own. She grabbed the sheet off his chest and started to pull it down, until she felt resistance.

She frowned and sat back up, staring down at Daryl as his hands clung to the sheet.

"Is this ma revenge?" She complained.

Daryl cracked a smile at her, but the sheet remained. "No" He answered.

Betty touched the sheet and he flinched slightly, her eyes narrowed when she saw a fine scar line peeking over the sheet. She felt her mouth dry and she swatted Daryl's hands away, she grabbed the bed linen and tugged it down to his stomach. She heard herself gasp, her eyes widened and her hands instinctively touched his bare chest.

On his stomach and chest were a mass of scars littering his fair skin. Betty realised why he never took off his top in front of her, he was too embarrassed by the scars he had there. She looked up at him, her stomach dropped when he closed his eyes in embarrassment.

"Who?" was her only question.

Daryl turned his face away from her, he lifted the sheet again and let it cover his chest.

"Thar ugly" He spat, he moved and Betty lifted herself off him. She sat on the other side of the bed, staring at him hard.

"But yer not" She said.

"Ye can stop tis if ye wanna, y'know move yer tent" He suggested, referring to the relationship they had going on.

Betty softly grabbed his chin and moved his face, forcing him to stare at her. "Ah ain't movin' ma tent." She said firmly, she laid down beside him and draped her arm over his chest. She watched his face struggle with conflict, he was trying to tell her something.

"Ye dun 'ave ta tell me nuthin'" She murmured. "Until yer ready"


	31. Closer

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Glen revealed that the barn was full of walkers, the group had immediately gone into panic mode and had checked out the barn for themselves. Rick had set up a patrol around the barn while he tried to make an arrangement with Hershel. The men had gotten into a fight, and Daryl had nearly taken Shane on in a fight. Betty had held him back and both she and Carol had taken him back to the main tent.

Daryl lounged back in his cot uncomfortably, to his distress, the group had placed him in the main tent so they could keep an eye on him. He had tried to convince them that he was perfectly fine at his own tent, but the women had argued and he remained stuck inside. Carol had come in with food every now and then, but Betty was the one that kept him most company.

She had a board game on his make-shift bedside table, and she was losing badly. As Daryl called check mate for the fifth time, she punched him lightly in the shoulder and flipped the board game over onto the floor.

"Screw ye!" She snapped, her nose wrinkled in frustration and she scowled at him.

His eyes flashed with amusement and he shook his head, "Dun be jealous" He taunted. She flipped him off and he chuckled, he leaned back into his bed and watched her clean up the mess she made. Her eyebrows were still fused together when Andrea hesitantly came through the open tent flaps.

"Uh..Daryl" She murmured.

Daryl's eyes widened when he saw the mess of Andrea's face. He was more impressed by Betty's fist skills than surprised by the bruising. Her cheek had a long gash along it, her other cheek was swollen and one of her eyes had a nasty purple bruise around it. Her lip had a scab forming, and Daryl was sure that Betty may of taken out a tooth.

Betty looked back at her and her scowl deepened.

"Can I talk to you alone?" Andrea asked, her eyes were casted down in embarrassment.

Betty pulled a face and Daryl nearly laughed at her childish frustration at both Andrea and the board game. He inclined his head towards the exit of the tent, silently commanding her to leave him and Andrea alone. She rolled her eyes and rose from the ground. Daryl pinched her rear as she passed, it was enough for her to smirk and brush past Andrea without any drama.

Andrea shuffled over to him, handing him over a novel she found in Dale's RV.

"Thought you might want to read this" She said conversationally.

Daryl flicked through the pages, "Wha'? Naw pictures?" He joked.

Andrea visibly relaxed, she gave him a small smile and came closer to the cot. "I'm so sorry Daryl!" She apologised. Daryl shrugged, growing uncomfortable with her close proximity. "Honestly Daryl, I'm truly sorry for shooting you. Thats not how I intended yesterday to end" She added.

"S'alrigh'-" He reassured, he studied her face carefully. "Hell, I'm sorry fer wha' Betty did ta ya face" He apologised.

Andrea laughed shakily, "I suppose I may deserve some of it. She's very protective of you, you know" She mumbled and Daryl felt his stomach flip at the words. Andrea moved back to the exit of the tent. "Once again, I'm so sorry Daryl"

Daryl waved her off, but as she exited the tent, he called after her. "Shoot me again, ye best pray I'm dead" He hollered. Andrea laughed and she went her way, shaking her head with amusement as she walked.

Betty came back inside afterwards, watching Andrea disappear into the house.

"Wha' she want?" She asked.

"Jus' wanted ta apologise" Daryl explained. He watched Betty nod in satisfaction and she sat beside him on the bed. "Ye did a hella mess on her face" He added, he raised her eyebrows at Betty and she merely shrugged.

"Woulda dun worse" She admitted.

Daryl's hand found hers and he squeezed her hand gently. They were both surprised by the sentiment and Betty found herself leaning over him and kissing him softly on the lips. It was a gentle kiss that sent butterflies through her stomach and her eyes fluttered shut. His hand instinctively cupped her cheek, his thumb traced a soft pattern on her jaw and she leaned into his hand.

Daryl wasn't sure what type of emotions were flooding through his body. It was something that made him act totally out of the ordinary, and he knew Betty was feeling it too. He had just deepened the kiss when they were interrupted with a clearing of ones throat.

Betty pulled away from him quickly, her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen. She stared up at Johnny, who regarded the two with an unfazed expression.

"Ah need ye ta help me out wit sumthin'" He said simply before leaving the tent altogether.

Betty looked back at Daryl with embarrassment, she checked if he was okay before she scrambled out of his tent. He watched her race after Johnny, her head bowed while he turned and talked quickly to her. He felt oddly inspired to get up and go look for Sofia, he eased himself up and headed out as well.

#

"Wha' are ye doin' wit him?" Johnny asked, he gave her a hard look while they leaned against the barn.

"Is this wha' ye wanted me ta do? Sit outside tha barn 'n wait fer Rick?" She asked haughtily. Johnny gave her another hard look, and Betty glanced away from him. "Ah dun know wha' yer talkin' 'bout" She mumbled.

Johnny rolled her eyes, "Ye both were all over one 'nother" He scoffed.

Betty gaped at him, "Naw we weren't! Jus' a kiss" She snapped.

Johnny snickered at her, "That type of kiss ain't 'jus' a kiss', thats a 'ah got feelin's' kiss" Johnny argued. He saw something tick in Betty's head, and at that moment he was sure he knew there was something more going on between them. "Ye dun' anythang else wit 'im?" He asked.

He saw Betty's cheeks turn a bright red and he took it as a yes.

"Ye being safe?" He asked, a brotherly tone in his voice.

"Shut up!" She hissed, her cheeks were blazing with heat.

He shrugged, "jus' lookin' out fer ya" He murmured and her eyes softened. She smiled at him and shifted closer to him.

"Ah know Johnny" She said softly.

"He yer boyfriend or sumthin'?" He asked, his eyes searched her face and Betty almost laughed at his protective side. She let the thought swirl around her mind, and she frowned, she wasn't really sure.

"It's early days" She answered. She looked up at Hershel's house and could see a group forming, Shane was talking heatedly to them and handing out guns. Betty cocked her head to the side, "Wha' is he doing?" She asked.

Johnny squinted and looked up at the house, his attention was soon directed to five figures appearing out of the trees. "Wha' are they doing?" He asked. Betty looked over at Rick, Hershel, Jimmy and two walkers stumbling towards them.

Betty looked back up at the farm house, she spotted the group sprinting down towards them. "Ah sense a whole lot of drama" She predicted. Just as she said it, Shane started yelling at Rick and Hershel. Rick dithered in the middle of the field, he was holding one of the walkers and was trying to steer it towards the barn.

"See what they're holding onto?" Shane said loudly, rounding the three men and blocking them from going any further.

"I see what I'm holding onto" Hershel snapped back, trying to control the deceased woman on his leash.

"Naw man, you don't" Shane said, he turned his attention to the group "These things ain't sick. They're not people. They're dead. Ain't gonna feel nothing for them 'cause all they do is kill! These things right here, they're the things that killed Amy. They killed Otis. They're gonna kill all of us."

Betty spotted Andrea nodding her head. Johnny ushered her away from the barn and they neared the conflict happening before them.

"Hey, Hershel, man, let me ask you something. Can a living breathing person, could they walk away from this?" Shane raised his gun and shot the walker in the chest.

"No, stop it!" Rick shouted.

Shane took two more shots at the walker, "That's three rounds in the chest. Could someone who's alive, can they just take that? Why is it still coming?" He took another shot at the walker's chest. "That's its heart, its lungs. Why is it still coming" He took another shot.

"Shane, enough!" Rick shouted.

"Yeah man, you're right. That is enough" Shane said coldly, harshly shooting the walker straight in the head.

The walker dropped and so did Hershel, Maggie wrapped her arms around his shoulders for comfort as he gasped and stared at Shane. Shane was creating chaos, Betty watched him blankly as he jumped around and shouted. He eventually ran towards the shed, and was hacking away at the door padlock.

Shane finally opened the barn door, and when he did walkers flooded out of it. Betty was very aware that she had no weapons to defend herself, she looked over at Johnny who equally looked panicked. Suddenly a hand gripped her shoulder and she was roughly pulled back.

"Git behind me!" Daryl snapped. He grabbed her arm tightly and pulled her behind him.

He ran up beside Shane, joined by both Andrea, Glen and T-Dog. The four of them shot at the walkers, filling the air with loud bangs.

Daryl stepped to the side and closed in on a walker, shooting it square in the face and turning back to check on Betty. They stared at one another, before panic filled Betty's eyes and her mouth opened to shout. Daryl was then shoved to the floor, and a walker scrabbled at him and lent down to take a bite from his neck. Daryl made a panicked grunt as the walker's head exploded in front of him.

Extremely shocked, Daryl looked to the side and saw Betty holding Glen's shotgun.

"Ye alright?" She called.

"Yeah" He mumbled, he scrabbled up and Betty handed her gun back to Glen.

When the group cleared out the barn, they stood around aimlessly, surprised that they had just killed that many walkers in one go. It wasn't until they heard small gasps within the barn, that they actually paid attention to the barn again. Andrea, T-Dog, Glen, Shane and Daryl got into attack stance again, prepping themselves for another flood of walkers, when just one young walker stepped out of the barn.

The group grew incredibly silent, they watched as the walker stumbled towards the group and made small grunting noises. Betty stared at the girl, before realization came to her, it was Sofia._  
__  
_Betty watched as Carol ran towards the barn, calling "Sofia" quietly as she neared. It was then that Daryl's arms circled her chest as she lunged at the deceased girl, the pair collapsed to the ground where Carol watch the girl with agonizing pain in her eyes. Betty averted her eyes, condemning herself for feeling the slightest bit of envy of how Daryl wrapped his arms around her.

Sofia walked slowly, and every step she took was giving the other members an impending question, who was going to shoot her? It was soon decided as Sofia closed in on the people nearest to the barn. Rick walked slowly forward, cocking his gun straight at the girl and a look of reluctance on his face. When she came closer, Betty looked down and Rick pulled the trigger.

The farm was filled with Maggie, Beth and Carol's cries. Betty could only explain it as horrible.

"Sofia" Carol sobbed on the ground, she was lifted up by Daryl who carried her towards the RV. She limply hung from his arms, and stared over his shoulder at her daughter's body.

"Mum!" Beth shouted, running towards a red haired walker and hugging her. She was soon screaming when the walker rose up and tried to bite her, Andrea eventually killed the walker with a garden tool which left Beth sobbing even harder.

"C'mon" Johnny whispered, his arms circled around her shoulders and she let him lead her away. She couldn't believe what had happened, the little girl she had come to adore was a lifeless corpse on a farm.


	32. The Aftermath

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

After the barn catastrophe, everyone had dispersed in separate directions. Betty, Johnny, T-Dog, Andrea, Shane and Glen were left to clean up the rotting corpses outside the barn. They separated the walkers into two piles, one being Hershel's family and Sofia, the other being the random folk Otis had collected. Daryl's pickup truck was used to transport the walkers to another location to burn them.

Valerie watched the six members lift the bodies from the ground and throw them onto the back of the truck. She kept her eyes transfixed on Betty, an almost sickly yearning filled her stomach and made her eyes sting sorely. She would be lying if she said she didn't miss Betty and her awkward ways, admittedly she was in the wrong but she had too much pride to confront Betty and apologise.

Valerie had been particularly nasty towards Betty, and she definitely didn't blame the fiery redneck for hitting her across the face. Shane kept telling Valerie that it wasn't her fault, so why did she feel like her heart faltered whenever she saw Betty across the yard?

Valerie sunk her face into her hands, here she was mulling over her problems when Carol had just lost a child they had been searching weeks for. She understood what pain Carol was going through, Valerie had lost both her parents and her boyfriend.

Now Valerie was sitting beside Carol, trying her best to comfort the numb woman. Daryl was sitting on the counter, staring intently at Carol with a blank look on his face. Carol didn't say a word, instead her eyes remained glued on the flower Daryl had gotten her, her eyes were red but no tears leaked from them. It was painful to watch Carol not react, Valerie almost wanted her to cry to make it seem less sinister in the RV.

Lori shuffled into the RV, her eyes watering when they stopped on Carol.

"C'mon Carol, we're gonna have a funeral for Sofia" She said softly.

Carol kept staring at the Cherokee rose, "I'm not going" She said firmly.

"Wha'?" Daryl asked.

"You heard me. I'm not going, my little Sofia died a long time ago" Carol whispered and finally her eyes brimmed with tears. "Just go" She added brokenly. "Please"

Valerie, Lori and Daryl stared at her speechless. Daryl was the first to leave, he stormed out of there and slammed his fist against the outside of the RV. Carol winced at that, but she remained strong and kept her eyes transfixed on the rose. Valerie rubbed her shoulder as she brushed past, before she too left with Lori by her side.

#

Betty had finished up digging out Sofia's small hole, her heart ached as she stared at the tiny grave. It wasn't right, someone that young shouldn't have died the way she did. She looked over at Sofia's body wrapped up in a white bed sheet, she bit her lip and looked away, if she looked any longer she knew her heart would break. She turned away, spotting Lori and Valerie approaching her.

"Where's Carol?" She asked them, she checked behind them for good measure.

"Back up at the RV, she doesn't want to come down" Lori said sadly.

Betty looked over her shoulder at Johnny, who was preparing the bodies to be buried. "Hold tha funeral, I'm gunna make sure Carol knows wha' she's doin'" She said quickly, before she rushed up to the RV.

She stepped into Dale's RV, spotting Carol instantly sitting on the small table with her head in her hands. She slipped into the bench seat opposite her, letting a moments silence envelope them before she decided to speak.

"Ah thank ye should come down ta Sofia's funeral" She said quietly.

Carol looked up from her hands, tears were streaked down her pale face and she shook her head. Betty tilted her head to the side, her eyes silently begging Carol to change her mind.

"It's wha' Sofia woulda wanted" She added.

Carol shook her head, "Sofia wouldn't of known what she wanted at her own funeral. She was twelve for heavens sake, my little girl didn't have death on her mind, even in this apocalypse" Carol cried.

"Then at least do tis fer yerself. Ye gunna regret not being at her funeral" Betty argued.

"How would you know?" Carol snapped.

"'cause ah regret not goin' ta ma grandmothers funeral" Betty confessed, "Ah didn't watch her git buried, 'n ah regret that. Ah didn't git ta say goodbye"

Carol regarded her more softly, but she shook her head nevertheless. "My little Sofia didn't get lost, she didn't go hungry or feel alone. She died a long time ago, and I've mourned her enough. I've been expecting this all along" Carol admitted.

Betty frowned, "So ye doubted us from day one?" She asked harshly.

Carol shook her head, "It was gradual, but I am deeply grateful for everyones input" She said sincerely. The RV was silent again and Betty stared at Carol, almost unsure of who this new woman was in front of her. She frowned in confusion, this was not the type of reaction she would expect out of a woman who had been crying non-stop for weeks. Betty assumed this was her closure.

"Please just leave me alone Betty, I'll be fine honestly" Carol added after a while.

Betty nodded, more so to herself and left the woman alone. Once leaving the RV, she saw that the group was just forming down by the gravesides. She frowned when she didn't spot Daryl, her attention turned from the group to Daryl's figure standing on the fringes of trees not far from his and Betty's campsite.

She strolled over to him, curiously observing him as he stomped over to his tent and started to rummage through it roughly. He moved his attention to a pile of wood near his tent, he used his knife to start carving out the shape of an arrow. He didn't look up when Betty approached, didn't even acknowledge her presence. Betty naturally ignored it, her mind elsewhere.

"Do y'know why Carol is actin' funny?" She asked, she was looking back at the RV at this point.

"Naw, 'n why would ah care" Daryl snapped.

Her head snapped back to him and she frowned at his brooding expression. She inched closer to him, watching as he violently started to carve his knife through the wood. "Wha's wrong wit ye?" She asked, genuinely concerned.

"Thar ain't nuthin' wrong wit me" He snarled, he gave her a hard look. Betty observed him closely, her face softened and Daryl looked away suddenly.

"Dun blame yerself fer wha' happened ta Sofia. Ya tried yer best, we all did. Everyone sees that, even Carol" She said softly. Daryl couldn't bear to hear her pity him, his eyebrows fused together and he stopped what he was doing.

Daryl's mouth twitched and he glowered at her, "Ah dun need no consoling! Especially not from sum bitch from up the road aways"

Betty's eyes narrowed, "Wha' tha fuck is that 'spose ta mean?"

Daryl stood up in a flash and glowered at her, "I dun need a talkin' to from sum hoe that dun know her place.

"Wha' tha fuck Daryl?"

"I dun need no clingy broad in ma life, yer were jus' a fuck. Ain't wanted right now, come back later" Daryl drawled nastily.

Betty stood up quickly as well, her fist connected with the side of her face and her eyes were filled with rage. "Yer a no good worthless piece 'o shit" She cursed him, "Ta hell wit ya , Ah don't need yer brooding useless ass anyways" She shouted.

She stormed away from him, ignoring the way her eyes stung painfully. What the hell had gotten into him? Why was he acting this way? She gritted her teeth angrily, all men were the same, all they did was hurt you. At least she had given him a good hit, that would teach him for using her.

She raced over to Hershel who was strolling quickly towards his car, his eyes darting around to make sure no one could see him.

"Where are ye goin'?" She asked him rudely

Hershel stopped when he saw her, "Getting away from this mess, you can't stop me!" He said defiantly.

Betty shrugged, "Na, I'm coming wit ya" She muttered. She followed him around his car, slid into his passenger seat and let him drive her into town.


	33. And All Is Revealed

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Daryl glared at the arrows he was making, his cheek was incredibly sore and he knew that a bruise would form there. He threw them aside, taking his sorry ass back to Sofia's funeral. He'd be lying if he said that he didn't feel guilty, he hadn't meant to say those things but he hated being pitied and honestly, he felt like a failure. He had tried so hard to find her, had taken a bullet and an arrow in the process, yet he still hadn't found the young girl.

He scowled deeply, muttering awful things beneath his breath. His father was right, he was a good for nothing redneck. Just like Betty said, he was useless. He wasn't adequate enough for this group and he knew it.

He sauntered over to Sofia's small grave, he visibly flinched when he watched her little body be lowered into the grave. Carol was still no where in sight, and neither was Betty or Hershel. Although the funeral went on, the group was slightly distracted by the missing members.

Once the funeral was over and Patricia had read a few bible passages, Rick stood in front of them all.

"Have any of you seen Hershel or Liz?" He asked in alarm.

"No, daddy's been missing for an hour now" Maggie pitched in, she worriedly looked back at the house.

"What about Liz?"

There was silence, some of the members looked at Daryl but he glared at them and they flinched away. He shook his head at Rick, who looked suddenly more worried than ever. He fumbled with his hands, nervously glancing around the group.

"None of you have seen her" He muttered.

"I saw Hershel drive off 'bout an hour ago, maybe she went with him" Shane interjected. He stepped forward suddenly, unfazed by the glares that went his way.

"And you didn't tell us?" Maggie snapped, she was still angry at Shane for nearly hitting Hershel previously.

"Well I thought ya'll knew" Shane defended.

Daryl felt his insides quake but he watched as Rick grabbed Glen and the pair rushed over to a spare car. He felt even more guilty as he watched them drive away, but his blood was still boiling and he retreated back to his campsite, ignoring the way the group watched him go. He didn't care what they thought, he didn't care what anyone thought anymore.

#

After yelling at Lori and then Carol, Daryl was beginning to feel like an even bigger asshole. Lori had gone off looking for Rick, Glen, Hershel and Betty, in the process she had a car accident and had encountered two walkers. Shane had brought her back safely, but it still didn't remove the guilt that surged through Daryl. He was sure all the females hated him now, he had refused to help and now Lori was injured.

Nothing else happened for the rest of that night, which put the group into even more panic. The four group members hadn't returned and they were sure something had happened to them. Daryl's anxiety peaked, and he paced the farm like a caged animal well into the night. He took night watch and when the group still didn't return, he was close to insanity.

He was just about to hop onto his motorcycle when he heard a distant rumbling. He looked up quickly, spotting Rick's old vehicle racing up the dirt track towards them. It swept past him, veering to a stop right outside the farmhouse.

The group gathered around the vehicle, anxiously watching as every member poured out of the car. Daryl momentarily sagged in relief when he saw Betty step out of the vehicle, only to perk up in alarm when he noticed the state she was in. His eyes narrowed in surprise, her lip was busted and her right sleeve soaked in blood. Her face was unusually pale, and Rick was leading her up the stairs.

Johnny rushed to her side, throwing questions at her but she remained silent. She allowed Rick to lead her inside, where she disappeared from his sight. He followed after her, peeking inside the bedroom Hershel was healing her in.

"Wha' happened?" Johnny asked urgently, no one was aware of Daryl's presence.

"We got into a mess, this other group got nasty with us. One of them gave her a hit and she got shot at" Rick elaborated, he rubbed Betty's back as she winced. Hershel was working on her arm, stitching back together her open wound.

"She got scraped pretty bad by one of their bullets" Hershel added.

"'n where are tha bastards that shot at ye?" Daryl asked from the doorway. He was freaking out entirely on the inside.

"Dead" Betty snapped, her eyes flew open and she glared at Daryl.

Daryl stared at her murderous expression, and he knew he was deep in the shit. She looked as if she hated him, and she probably did, Daryl didn't blame her. He backed away from her, knowing that she would be satisfied if he left her alone.

He stepped back outside, avoiding eye contact with the other females he'd hurt. Instead he directed his attention towards the younger male in the back of the vehicle, he was being carted out and being taken into the house for further treatment. Not much was explained about the male, just that he was part of the group that fired at Betty and the others.

"Why are we helpin' him?" He sneered, he glowered at the unconscious body passing him.

"Because it's humane" Lori said pointedly, she gave Daryl a hard look before brushing past him and entering the house.

Daryl scoffed, "Ain't nuthin' humane 'bout bringin' back a killer" He muttered.

#

As soon as Betty had got her lip and arm fixed up, she had ignored Hershel's suggestion to stay inside. She told him she had to get outside, otherwise her mind would drive her insane if she stayed inside. Hershel understood and gave her the chore of fixing a broken fence further away from the camp.

Betty and Hershel had grown closer over their time they spent down at the bar. Betty had drunkenly told him everything, every small detail ranging from her family's abandonment of her and the cruel things Daryl had told her recently. Hershel had comforted her, while also telling her his problems and what he was feeling. The pair had come to a new understanding of one another, and a friendship had been formed.

Now Hershel fondly watched Betty grab some tools from his shed and stroll out to the fences he had been meaning to fix for a while.

Once she got to the fences, she concentrated greatly on them. With the sweltering heat and the hard labour, Betty had no time to think about Daryl or anyone else for that matter. Her mind was at peace and she felt slightly normal for once.

She worked effortlessly through the heat, not bothering to take a break or even pause. She knew that the moment she stopped fixing the fence, Daryl would flood her mind and she'd feel even worse than she already did. It was totally out of character, but then again, it was Daryl Dixon.

"Liz"

Betty glanced over her shoulder and groaned, "Wha' do ye wan' Shane?" She asked rudely. She regarded him with hostility and then returned her attention to the gate.

"I just wanted to come over here and talk"

"Really? 'Cause ah dun wanna talk ta ya"

"Why are you being so hostile?"

"Oh thats rich, yer tha one who got nasty on me, 'n turned ma friend on me!"

"I didn't turn Valerie on you, you did it yourself. With all your talk about going to Juvi and getting Rick's toy" Shane blurted out. It was silent between the two, Shane's eyes widened and Betty stared at him.

"How did ye know?" She asked him quickly. She studied his face closely, and he looked away. She came up closer to him and grabbed his shirt, forcing him to stare back at her. "Ye had sumthin ta do wit it didn't ya?" She snapped.

Shane looked away, "N-no!" He argued.

"Ye did, ah knew it!" She shouted, she gripped his shirt harder. "Tell me dammit!" She started to shove Shane angrily and he stumbled backwards, with each aggressive shove, Shane was getting closer to falling on the ground. "Ye bloody well tell me Shane, or I'll cut ye!" Betty threatened, she held a screwdriver near Shane's throat and he visibly panicked.

"Okay! I had something to do with it!" He admitted loudly.

Betty gasped in disbelief, she stared down at him with wide eyes. "Wha' did ye do?" She whispered.

"I-I told Scarlett that that Hughes kid stole Rick's toy" Shane stammered.

"'n ye knew ah would go after it" She said calmly. Shane flinched away from her, she was going to blow soon. "Why would ye do that?" Betty screamed angrily, her eyes welled up and Shane glanced away.

"I don't know!" He admitted, "I was so angry at you for telling my mum that I got you drunk, that I wanted to get you back"

Betty stared at him, entirely speechless. She remembered how angry Shane had been when she told his mum that he had taken her out and gotten her drunk. Shane's mother had told her mother and he had gotten grounded for two months.

Betty raced forward and shoved him hard, "So you got me sent to Juvi. For one whole fucking year! Do you know what I went through? And then I got out, and my family was gone."

Shane stared up at her, "I'm sorry Betty, I was stupid. I didn't know it'd turn out like this" He pleaded.

Betty shook her head at him, "Ye 'ave naw idea wha' shit ah went through ma entire life. Ah couldn't get a proper job, ma parents wanted nuthin' ta do wit me. Ah lost a great life 'cause of ya" She said quietly.

Shane was silent as he watched Betty's eyes tear up. She looked away from him, "Jus' go" She begged, "B'fore ah ram tis screw driver into yer skull" Shane scampered away quickly, feeling guilt surge through him. Betty made sure he was gone before she freely cried into her hands, sobbing quietly to herself at the revelation. It hurt to know that someone she thought was family had been the reason she was in Juvi.


	34. The Truth Hurts

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

One week later, the young man who had been left for dead in town had finally started to heal and had come to consciousness. He revealed that his name was Randall, and that he had a group larger than every member at the farm. Shane and Rick had been discussing his fate, whether to kill him, ditch him or incorporate him into the group. Tensions had risen, until Rick had come to the conclusion of taking Randall to the outskirts of town and "cutting him loose".

Although Randall was the biggest issue on the farm, other members had begun to notice a particular member of the group having changed drastically. Betty had been dealing with Shane's revelation in silence, she hadn't told anyone and her behaviour was noticed. She didn't stick around long enough to have a decent conversation with anyone, not even Johnny could crack her silence.

But Johnny was determined, and he found her sitting beneath a tree not far from the farmhouse.

"Betty we need ta talk" He said firmly, interrupting her from a daze. She grunted at him, but he slid down the tree and sat beside her. "Wha's gotten into ye girl?" He asked her curiously. She remained silent and Johnny studied her face intently. "Is it got ta do wit ye 'n Daryl?" He pressed.

She shook her head firmly, then faltered before shrugging her shoulders.

"Tell me Betty, otherwise I'll git Dale talkin' ta ya" Johnny said, he noticed her stiffen as Rick and Shane drove past them. He frowned, watching the jeep veer off into the distance, transporting Randall off to the outskirts of town. "Randall?" He guessed, when he got no response he pressed again. "Shane?"

Her head lowered and Johnny grabbed her chin, "Wha' did he do ta ya, did he touch ye?" He demanded.

Betty shook her head quickly, "He ain't touched me, jus'-" She croaked, and Johnny could see tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Tell me!" He said softly.

And so she did, Betty told him everything that had happened with Shane. She even went into the heated conversation she had with Daryl. Naturally Johnny was angered, he gritted his teeth and his hands clenched into fists by his side. He was ropable and wanted nothing more than to wring Shane's neck.

"Ah can't believe that!" He snapped, "Wha' a low thang ta do"

Betty sighed heavily and she rose from their seated position. "Ah jus' need some time alone Johnny, see ye in a bit" She mumbled before disappearing out of sight. Johnny stayed there for a while, thinking of ways to break it to Valerie.

#

Valerie watched from a distance as Betty walked away from Johnny. She had been watching the older woman lately, observing every little action she made and she knew something was up. Betty was even more distance than ever, and whatever she had with Daryl had surely ended. Valerie had also noticed the change in Daryl, although he stopped snapping at everyone who approached him, he had become more reclusive.

She watched Johnny shake his head, before he got up and started to walk towards her. His steps faltered, and he smiled sheepishly at her, he then diverted his path to Dale's RV. Valerie frowned but shrugged it off, assuming that Johnny was just looking for Dale.

She glanced around quickly, scowling when she couldn't find Shane anywhere. She walked slowly towards the RV, sneaking around the large vehicle until she was just crouching beneath the window. She could hear Dale rustling around inside, and Johnny's soft voice quietly muttering to him.

"What did you say?" Dale said suddenly, his voice louder than usual.

"Daryl 'n Betty had a fight" Johnny elaborated.

"No, not that!" Dale muttered, "The other thing, about Shane"

Valerie's ears perked up instantly, she peaked through the window and stared at the two men inside. Dale was staring hard at Johnny, surprise evident in his facial expression. Johnny looked at the ground, his face crestfallen.

"Shane 'n Betty had a fight" Johnny mumbled.

"No the other thing" Dale said irritably.

"Shane's tha reason Betty went ta Juvi" He explained, "As revenge"

Valerie covered her mouth quickly, restraining a loud gasp to fall through her lips. She heard Dale gasp softly, a sound of disbelief.

"Son, you can't be serious" Dale whispered, "Of all people"

Valerie watched Johnny shake his head quickly, "Betty jus' told me 'n thats why she's been actin' funny. She ain't lyin' neither, ah know" Johnny said quietly, "Ah dunno wha' ta say to Valerie" He added.

Dale shrugged, "Theres nothing to say, its none of her business" He argued.

"It is if she's wit sum low life dog" Johnny snapped, he started to near the exit of the RV. "Maybe ah should tell her"

Dale grabbed Johnny's arm tightly, "No, its none of your business to tell anyone anything. If Betty wants to tell Valerie, she will. Lets just hope it isn't too late, I certainly hope Shane doesn't do the same to Valerie thats all"

Valerie backed away from the RV quickly, she didn't want to hear anymore of what the two males had to say. She skulked back to the farmhouse, she didn't believe it, she couldn't believe it. The sweet man who had cared for her all these weeks when Betty wouldn't, would never do that to Betty. He had told Valerie that Betty was like a sister to him, excluding the affection.

She snorted to herself, of course Betty was lying. She would do anything to get someone to turn against Shane and lately that seemed easier than ever. She went back into the farmhouse, concentrating on doing all the chores around the house so she would have free time with Shane when he got back. The thought brought a smile to her face and she was finished with the work in the early afternoon.

As she scrubbed her hands clean from raw chicken meat, she made her way out to the front porch, just in time to see Rick and Shane return safely. To Valerie's surprise and everyone else's, they returned with Randall unscratched in the boot.

Heated words and murderous glares were exchanged between Shane and Rick, before Shane dragged Randall down to a small tool shed with the help of Andrea. Rick and Lori talked for a small moment, before he followed Dale into his RV. Valerie frowned, it certainly wasn't the return she was expecting.

She waited up at the porch, until she was sure that Shane had returned his tent and he would of cooled down. She started down towards the tent, deciding she would confront him about the whole Betty incident to settle the suspicions she had regardless of her denial. She strolled towards Shane's large tent, faltering briefly when she heard soft muttering from within.

"Shane you've got to stop this"

Valerie frowned deeply, that was Lori's voice. She crept closer to the tent, so she could hear the barely audible conversation going on inside. She listened to Lori whisper in hushed angry tones, and her name was mention a few times.

"What about Valerie?" Lori muttered.

"What about her?"

Lori scoffed, "You two obviously have something going on. She loves you, I can tell" Lori argued angrily. There was silence, before Shane cleared his throat.

"I don't love her Lori, thats the thing. It was suppose to be a one time thing, but then it turned into casual and now she's calling me her boyfriend. I have no interest in being with her, she's not even my type. You're the one I love Lori" Shane whispered.

Valerie felt her throat thicken, her heart stopped and her legs weakened. She could barely restrain the tears that fell freely down her face, she was in shock, how could this be happening? She swallowed down her sobs, saving it for later.

"Shane, I don't love you" Lori snapped.

"Yes you do, and I'm going to love you and this baby. Our baby" Shane said quickly.

Valerie heard a resonating smack, and she knew Lori had slapped Shane. She backed away from the tent, as soon as she got a good distance away, she ran straight for the woods. Sobs broke from her lips, her face scrunched up in pain as she felt her first heart break. Not that Shane would be affected anyway, he never loved her, he didn't even want to be with her.

She sunk to her knees and cried heavily, he hadn't just used her for sex, she had washed his clothing, cleaned up after him and basically did everything for him. He had used her entirely and now Valerie had no one. She placed her hands over her face and sobbed, what else was there to do? She felt her chest heave with each new wracking sob, and each time the sob escaped her mouth, she was close to throwing up.

She had been out there for a long time, the sky was darkening and the wind was cold. Valerie didn't notice, she didn't even register the comforting hand placed on her shoulder, she flinched from it but the grip was firm.

"Valerie?" Johnny's voice was so close to her ear. "Wha's wrong hon?"

Valerie cried even harder, and in between sobs she managed to get out a sentence. "Shane. Doesn't. Love. Me" She cried. Johnny wrapped his arms around her small shoulders and pulled her into him, she nuzzled into him and snivelled.

"I heard him talking to Lori, he said he loved her and her baby" She croaked.

"Loris pregnant?" Johnny gasped, he glanced down at Valerie who glared up at him. "Sorry, carry on" He mumbled.

"He was just using me Johnny" She started to cry softly. Johnny angrily hugged her tighter, there wasn't anything to say. What could he say? "And the worse part is, Betty was right in the end" She sobbed.

Johnny patted her gently, he started to rock her back and forth. Her cries were starting to die down, and she started to relax in his arms. "Did Shane really put Betty in Juvi for revenge?" She asked quietly.

She felt Johnny stiffen, "How did ye know?" He exclaimed. He glanced down at her quickly, and saw her eyes stare up at him expectantly. He sighed heavily, "Yeah...yeah he did" He muttered.

"Oh god" Valerie cried, she buried her face in his chest and he felt it dampen. "How could I be so stupid?" She complained. Johnny patted his back, words of comfort just on the edge of his tongue before a loud crack filled the air and the echo of a bang rang out to them.


	35. Confront Your Fears

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

"Sorry brother"

_Bang._

Daryl sombrely sat on top of Dale's RV, eyes casted downwards while he clenched the binoculars tight in his hand. It had been five hours since he had shot Dale, five hours since the older man had been attacked by a lone walker. He had watched Rick come forward, ready to take on the burden of killing off Dale. Daryl had taken the gun from Rick, believing that the sheriff should no longer take all the responsibility.

He had looked Dale square in the eyes and taken his shot, farewelling the moral compass of the group forever. It hadn't been easy, especially not on the people Dale was close to. Andrea was the worse of them all, she had run off after Dale stopped moving, a fresh wound in the base of his skull. After that, Daryl had lifted Dale's body with the help of Rick, and they had taken him down to Sofia's grave.

They were going to give him a proper funeral, as well as respect his final wishes of Randall's future.

Daryl didn't see the point, but Rick was the boss and he wasn't going to fight it. He had bigger problems anyway, his biggest being Betty's absence. He had been secretly watching her, following her out into the woods where she would absently sit in complete silence. Since the night of their fight, she didn't really bother to come back to her tent, instead opting for night watches and sleeping through the day.

But this time, Daryl had taken it from her. He couldn't sleep with Dale's death on his mind, he had told her and she simply shrugged and went on her way, not even second glancing his way. He would be lying if he said it didn't hurt, he had spent every waking hour with her, and for Betty not to acknowledge him properly stung. He glanced over at their tents, a dim hue of light shining from a distance.

He heaved a sigh, feeling even more guilty now that he was thinking about it.

His head snapped to the side when the RV shook, he frowned, there wasn't anyone inside that night. Everyone had gone into the farmhouse, excluding Betty of course, she chose to stay outside. Daryl watched as Johnny's head appeared before his body lifted him onto the RV roof.

"I'm 'ere ta relieve ye" Johnny huffed, he sauntered over to Daryl.

Daryl rose from his seat, the one Dale use to sit in all the time. He looked down at it sadly, before he looked back at Johnny. He was sure he saw a hint of sympathy in the man's eyes, before Johnny looked down.

They awkwardly moved past one another, their shoulders brushing while their mouths kept silence. Abruptly, Johnny's hand lashed out and grabbed Daryl's forearm tightly. He spun Daryl back, forcing the shyer redneck to stare into his eyes.

"Wha' ever is going on between you and Betty. Ah want you to fix it" Johnny ordered, "Because yer both ain't actin' tha same 'n ah ain't been 'round a more boring person than how Betty's been actin' lately"

Daryl nodded and Johnny released him from his steel grip. They awkwardly exchanged eye contact before Daryl clambered off the RV and made his way back to his tent, aware of Johnny's eyes boring into his back.

#

Betty paced in front of the tool shed, she had been put on this shift after Dale's funeral. Rick had decided to spare Randall's life, and now she was protecting him from any threatening group members, which everyone knew was Shane Walsh himself.

She was bored out of her mind, sitting on a old wooden barrel outside the crap tool shed while she swung her pickaxe back and forth. She didn't really want to think about Dale's death, it was something she didn't want to think about in a long time. It had affected her, he had been so good to her in his last weeks, offering advice even when she didn't need it.

She had watched Daryl shoot him from afar, slightly proud of the youngest Dixon stepping up finally. He had come over to talk to her, their first contact since their argument two weeks ago. She had lightened up because of it, and she knew that Daryl had expected more from her. The next morning, when she had woken up, Daryl had even greeted her with a shy nod.

"Liz"

Betty looked to the side quickly, heart racing when Rick was right next to her. "Where tha hell did ya come from?" She snapped, a quick breath escaping her lips. Rick cracked a smile at her, but his gaze was more intent.

"I know I have no right asking this from you, but you're my sister and you've always been brutally honest" Rick admitted, Betty coaxed him to talk more by tilting her head to the side. "What are your thoughts on Shane honestly?"

"He's nuts Rick, he's going insane" She revealed. She thought back to the erratic actions of Shane, lately he had been getting more wilder and destructive, and Betty knew it was because he was losing control and this new world was ruining him.

Rick scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "Yeah I know. I've been getting a lot of that lately"

"Then wha' are ye gunna do 'bout it?" She asked.

Rick looked at her with earnest eyes. "I don't know Liz, I really don't know" He admitted. "Lori tells me he should be put down, Valerie's telling me to abandon him. Johnny says 'fuck him'. I don't know anymore"

Betty looked at him seriously, "Valerie said that?" She gasped.

Rick nodded quickly, "She wants nothing to do with Shane anymore, says his nothing but trash" Rick revealed, "And I'm starting to think negatively myself" Betty grunted, and Rick gazed at her intensely. "Johnny says I should know something about you and Shane. Something about Juvi" He added seriously.

Betty's gaze fell and Rick's hand reached out for her.

"Please tell me" He begged.

"Ask Shane yerself" She answered coldly, in which Rick removed his hand from her. She slipped off her seat and looked at him seriously. "Ye better figure it out Rick. 'cause that man is on a road of destruction" She murmured before slipping away.

Rick grabbed her arm once more, and she looked back at him questionably. "You're talking to me normally" He whispered, as if it was the most wonderful thing in the world. The corners of his mouth jumped slightly.

She bit her trembling lip and glanced away, "Don't" She mumbled.

Rick dropped her arm, "Forgive me" He begged.

"I'm getting there" She replied honestly.

#

Betty walked past Dale's grave, placing a flower on the small mound of dirt covering him. She sighed, patting the wooden cross placed in the ground at the head of the grave. It seemed so surreal, she couldn't believe he was gone. She sunk to her knees and muttered beneath her breath, a pray that her mother had once taught her. She stayed by Dale's grave for a long time, before giving the cross a final pat and departing from him.

She casually walked up the long gravel path to the farmhouse, she had to talk to Johnny about talking to Rick. It wasn't his place to tell her estranged brother, nor was it his right. She was going to give him an earful alright.

She had just made it to the front porch, when Daryl pulled up in his old pickup truck. He veered to a stop, beeping his horn and sliding out of the drivers seat. He was staring straight at her, as he came rushing up to the front steps.

"Git in tha car" He ordered, no greetings, no apologises, no nothing. Betty crushed her eyebrows together, unimpressed and ready to protest. "Ah said git in it now" He added more firmly.

Betty huffed, she pushed past him and made her way to the truck. He beat her to it, opening up the passenger door for her while she jumped in. She rolled her eyes as his ran around the truck and slid back into the drivers seat.

"Wha' tha hell do ye wan'?" She asked rudely.

Unfazed by her behaviour, Daryl shoved the vehicle into gear and sped down the driveway.

There was a tense silence between the two as Daryl kept driving, Betty stared out the window, failing to reply to any of Daryl's unnecessary comments. She knew she was being harsh, but Daryl had said some particularly nasty things to her. Just when she thought she was going to scream at him, he pulled over onto the side of the road, putting the truck into park and staring at her expectantly.

"Is tis where ya wanted ta take me?" She snipped, gesturing around to the barren highway.

"Naw, ah jus' wanna settle tis awkwardness between us" He drawled.

Betty pulled a face, but remained silent. Daryl nervously regarded her, fumbling over his words as he tried to get a proper sentence out. He took a deep breath as Betty rolled her eyes for the fourth time, trying to find some courage.

"Look, Ah wanna apologise fer tha nasty thangs ah said. Ma momma woulda been ashamed of wha' ah said ta ya, 'n lord knows ah didn't mean it" Daryl apologised, he looked over at Betty's cold facade. "Ah dun expect ya ta forgive me, buh' ah jus' wan' ye ta know. Okay?"

"Ye made me feel like shit" She snapped, her face was now turned to him and her eyes were alight with anger.

"Ah know, 'n I'm sorry. Ah didn't mean wha' ah said 'bout ye jus' being a fuck. Yer not, yer more than that...way more than that" Daryl admitted, "Ye understand more than tha others"

"Doesn't give ye tha right ta lash out at me, 'n say nasty thangs" She mumbled.

"Ah know, so I'm making it up ta ya" Daryl said as he restarted the vehicle. Betty didn't miss the straining of his voice.

"Where are ye takin' me?" She asked softly.

"You'll see"

They drove along together, a more comfortable silence enveloping them. Daryl didn't stop driving, until it pulled into a side road that Betty had not seen and he drove her into a small town. Betty frowned, the town seemed so strangely familiar and yet she had never been here. It dawned on her when Daryl pulled up to a church, they had been looking for Sofia in this area.

This was the church they thought she had been in.

She looked over at Daryl in confusion, but he kept quiet. He got out of his seat, came around the truck and opened her passenger door. She slid out, letting him lead her to the steps of the church. When she refused to go up them, he turned to her.

"Go in"

"A-a-ah can't" She whispered, her torso shaking violently. She moved back but Daryl gripped her shoulders tightly.

"Ah heard" He said softly, "That day ye were talkin' ta Rick on tha roof of tha RV. 'bout ye fear of churches. Ah wan' ta help ya confront it" He reassured, he got onto the first step but she didn't budge. "Lemme help ye" He added.

He saw uncertainty in her eyes as she looked up at him, but nevertheless, she gripped his hand tightly and let him lead her slowly up the stairs. He checked in the church, making sure no walkers were inside, before he hesitantly led her in. The moment she stepped over the threshold, her body quaked and her eyes slammed shut. She wouldn't budge, and Daryl awkwardly tensed as her hand squeezed his.

"Come on" He urged.

"Ah can't Daryl" She hissed, she looked at him, her eyes welling with tears. "Its jus' bringin' back memories" She added wistfully.

"So let 'em go" Daryl pressed.

At Daryl's words, Betty seemed to instantly relax. Daryl led her to a seat right in front of the altar, where she sat down as her eyes danced around the church. Memories flooded into her mind, both bad and good, each one stinging her severely.

Daryl let her stay by herself, before taking a seat beside her.

"So ye heard huh?" She mumbled.

Daryl nodded shyly, "Uh yeah, sorry 'bout that. Ah was coming ta talk ta ya, buh' ye 'n Rick were talkin'" He explained.

"Ye dun 'ave ta explain Daryl, no one else woulda done tis fer me" She admitted, gesturing around to the church. "It kinda feels good ta be back in one, ya know?" She looked over at Daryl, although there was slight fear in her eyes, she seemed genuinely alright.

"Ye said ye were pushed into yer grandmother's casket.." Daryl trailed off, expectantly looking at her. He hoped this would help her get over it. Betty nodded in agreement, before sighing deeply.

"Ma mother pushed me" She muttered. Daryl stared at her in shock but she shook her head, "Ah dun thank she meant fer me ta fall into tha casket, buh just simply ta shove me. Anyway, ah ended up in the casket before it crashed ta tha ground 'n ah fell out wit ma grandmother on top of me"

"Shit" Daryl cursed.

Betty nodded again, "Ma father wanted nuthin' ta do wit me afta that, called me an embarrassment 'n was ashamed of me. Ma mother naturally enjoyed it, she always hated me that woman" She hissed.

"She didn't hate ya" Daryl mumbled.

"Na, she did. She told me everyday, buh ah always had Rick. Ma father dun like me too much either, especially after tha funeral. He started ta smack me 'round a bit after that" Betty confessed, she felt her cheeks reddened when Daryl stared at her. "It ain't as bad as it sounds, just little smacks over tha end every now 'n then"

Daryl nodded, "Do ye feel better at least?"

Betty shrugged, "Ah dun thank tha memories will fade, buh at least ah can sit in one. Thanks ta ye" Betty said, she looked over at Daryl gently. "Yer an ass fer sayin' wha' ye did ta me, buh ah forgive ye 'n thank ya fer takin' me here" She added.

"Do ye thank we'll git back ta where we was?" He asked her, this time more shyly.

Betty watched him carefully, "Maybe" She mumbled.

Daryl nodded, seemingly in higher spirits than before. They sat together in silence for a long time, and Daryl could see Betty becoming more comfortable each passing moment. Although she wouldn't admit it verbally, she knew that what happened to her as a child had always played at the back of her mind. This was her first time re-entering a church, and did it not only relieve her, she felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders.

She was grateful for Daryl's consideration, and she felt her heart swell.

"Ma dad"

Daryl broke the silence and Betty stared at him, slightly startled.

"Wha'?"

"Ma dad gave me 'em scars" Daryl clarified. He gestured to his chest and back, "Tha ones ye were askin' 'bout"

A look of horror flashed across her face and she scooted closer to him, "I'm so sorry Daryl" She muttered, her arm snaked around his waist where she gave him a firm side hug. He tensed but relaxed quickly, enjoying the feeling of her warm body next to his. She laid her head on his shoulder. "Wha' a horrible man"

"Good thang he's dead" Daryl muttered. Betty gave him a questioning look, and he shrugged. "He got himself shit faced drunk 'n crashed his car"

Betty watched his jaw clench and unclench. "Thank ye fer tellin' me Daryl" She whispered, before her lips pressed against his cheek softly. "'N fer takin' me here" She added. Her grip tightened on him and Daryl felt oddly at home.

"It ain't nuthin'" He mumbled.

"Buh its everythang ta me" She said softly.


	36. Forgiveness is Key

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

Over the course of a week, Daryl and Betty had regained a new bond between them. Although they had no sexual contact, they had grown a stronger friendship, they seemed to understand one another more clearly. The group had noticed the change in the two, and what use to be tension, had finally settled at the farm. The only drama was Shane, who was still kicking up a fuss about Randall.

Randall's presence had put a few people on edge, and Shane seemed to feed off the fear.

Betty had sat back and watched the man in action, he had leapt on Andrea and soon his talk traveled down to Glen and Hershel's family. She was disgusted, sickened by him, and she knew Rick felt the same. Although they weren't exactly tight as they use to be, Rick and Betty were working towards rekindling their relationship. It just seemed that Shane was the reason behind everyone's drama.

One particular afternoon, the group was seated outside, taking turns to discuss where Randall should be let go. Rick suggested taking him to the outskirts with Daryl, which instantly indicated the interest of Daryl's whereabouts, he had been missing for a few hours. Lori had argued about his safety, but Rick had made it pretty clear what was going to happen.

Shane was just about to kick up a hissy fit, when Daryl came sauntering back to the group with his crossbow clinging to his shoulder.

"Tha boys got a gang, thirty men. Got heavy artillery 'n they ain't lookin' fer friends" Daryl drawled, "They roll through 'ere, our boys are dead 'n our women-" Daryl's gaze landed on Betty, and she saw his eyes fire up "-are gunna wish thar dead"

Betty's eyes flickered to his knuckles, and she frowned. The skin was split, blood running down his large hand while bruises started to seemed Betty wasn't the only one to notice, Carol step forward with a frown as well.

"What did you do?" She asked him.

"Had a liddol chat" He muttered, before he quickly walked away.

Betty watched him go, and she also watched Carol march after him. Shaking her head, she followed after them quietly, unaware of the presence lingering behind her. She kept her distance, watching as Daryl settled down on a log and started to chip away at the make-shift arrows he was making. She then watched Carol storm up to him, shoulders tense and a large frown on her face.

Betty snuck into the bushes near them, peaking out to see while Carol's back faced her.

"What was the point of all that Daryl?" She asked in a disapproving tone.

Daryl looked up at her irritably, "Of wha'?" He snipped.

Carol huffed, she gestured to his bloody knuckles. "Of that! Of the violence, why are you beating up a defenceless boy" She snapped, she glared at him with intensity, it started to anger Daryl.

"Ah dun see no defenceless boy, y'know wha' ah see. Ah see a boy that sat back 'n watched others rape, murder and scare real defenceless people" Daryl argued, he glared back at her, clearly unimpressed with the conversation.

Carol thrusted a pair of napkins onto his lap, "Did ya get what you wanted?" She asked snidely, deciding to ignore the previous comment."Approval, thanks?" She snapped, she scoffed and Daryl rose suddenly.

"Wha' do ye wan' from me?" He questioned angrily.

"I want you to stop acting like you don't care" Carol snapped, "I know you said you were sorry about yelling at me, but don't act like you don't care. I see the way you act with Betty, I see the way you look out for her. I hate to see you act like you don't care"

Daryl's face contorted angrily, "Ye leaver her outta tis"

Carol huffed, "You see, you do care. So stop going around beating up harmless boys"

"He ain't no harmless boy, he'd do a lot worse than wha' ah did" Daryl argued, he rubbed at his knuckles fiercely. Carol stepped away from him, having giving up entirely on the argument. "'n dun tell me ah dun care, ah do. Wha' makes ye thank ah beat him up fer? Fer Rick's approval, ah dun thank so"

Carol watched him carefully, "So what did you do it for?"

"Ta protect whats mine" He snapped, he glanced at her. "Ta protect us all"

By this time, Betty was grinning like a cheshire cat. She moved out of the bushes, only to be bombarded by another presence behind her. She shrieked quietly into her hand, only to have Valerie giggling wildly in front of her.

"Wha' tha hell?" Betty gasped, reeling backwards while Valerie held her arms tightly. "Why did ye sneak up on me?"

Valerie's giggles defused, she guiltily looked at Betty whilst biting her lip. "I've come to apologise Betty, I've been the most stupidest person in the whole world. I can't believe I picked a guy over you, especially one that did such an awful thing to you"

Betty stared at her speechless, she didn't know what to say.

"I guess it was too late for me to realise that you were right, you were always right. I heard Shane talking to Lori last week, and he said he didn't love me. He was basically using me for sex" Valerie choked, she looked down to the ground with watering eyes. "I've made such a fool of myself"

"Na, ye haven't" Betty mumbled.

"I have Betsy! You were right and I was wrong. I need to know that you'll forgive me, I haven't had enough courage to confront you yet, but I thought this was my final chance" Valerie exclaimed, "Please, will you forgive me"

Betty stared at the younger girl, finally seeing now that being angry at her or the world, wasn't going to help her circumstances. "Forgive buh' dun forget, right?" Betty mumbled and Valerie swung her arms around her neck. "Buh ye owe me one" She added.

Valerie nodded sheepishly, "I just can't believe what he did to you"

Betty tilted her head to the side, "Wha' do ye mean Val?" She asked.

"About you going to Juvi and Shane being the main reason" Valerie clarified. Betty stared in shock, and sensing her startled behaviour, Valerie went into detail. She told Betty of how she had snuck by the RV and listened to Johnny and Dale's discussion, also sparing details of Shane and Lori's conversation in the tent later that day. She even added a short story of her crying in the woods.

Betty had been both surprised and slightly angry that Johnny had been spreading her news. She shrugged it off however, knowing that the information would be out when Rick confronted Shane about it. She let Valerie go, accepting the girls apology the million times she said it.

_Life's too short to be pissed off all the time_. Scarlett always use to tell her that. Betty's heart panged at the thought of her lost friend, she hoped that the red head was alright and that Merle was taking care of her. She knew they wouldn't be dead, even Daryl said so himself.

#

"You're gonna have to pack up your tents Liz, its just unsafe living so far away" Rick ordered, he gave her a serious look, one she knew would not be able to be swayed. She huffed in annoyance, but followed suite, acting like the good younger sister.

"Tis seems all too familiar" Betty complained beneath her breath, in which Rick gave her a wry grin.

She smiled back at him, before strolling across the large field to get to her tents. She was actually thankful for finally moving into the farmhouse, it beat the late nights blindly trying to find her way back to her tents.

When she eventually reached them, Daryl was right behind her and watching her every movement.

"Wha' ye doin'?" He asked her curiously.

"We gotta pack up, Rick wants us ta move into tha farmhouse wit everyone" She announced, pulling a face quickly. Daryl grunted and moved to his tent, only for Betty to stop him. "Not yours, help me wit mine" She said quickly.

Daryl frowned at her, but didn't push the subject. He helped her take down her tent, pack it up and load it onto the back of his pickup truck. Luckily he had brought it close to the tents. They stored the stray equipment around their tents before moving to his.

"So why dun ye wanna take down ma tent?" Daryl asked her, slightly afraid she wanted him to stay away from her.

"'Cause tis is gunna be tha last time we can be loud" Betty mumbled shyly, her cheeks igniting under his stare.

Daryl looked at her with confusion, and she closed the space between them. She wrapped her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his lips hard. He was frozen, before slowly melting into her touch. Before she knew it, he was on her fast. His hands darted all over her body, grabbing at pieces of flesh and lifting her up and closer to him.

He tightly bear hugged her, moaning into her mouth when she brushed over his crotch. She sucked on his lower lip, hooded eyes open to urge him into the tent. Daryl practically stumbled into his tent, with Betty still latching on. He placed her back on the cot, discarding all his clothing and hers as quickly as possible, ripping fabric in the process.

He descended onto her, fusing their bodies together as his lips trailed down her law and attacked her neck. He sucked and nipped at the skin there, before kissing his way down her torso and over the curves of her hips. He rested his mouth beneath her belly button, before trailing down to her already wet sex.

"Finally" He muttered, before burying his tongue into her waiting centre.

His tongue teased her gently, before he rolled his tongue over her clit and sucked it passionately into his mouth. Betty's back arched and her hand instinctively found his hair, her fingers knotted in there. Daryl was relentless with his tongue, even adding two fingers to make her groan his name loudly. He worked harder, this time with more hunger. Betty yanked at his hair, but it only made him more determined.

His lips closed over the explosive bundle of nerves and sucked roughly. She felt her orgasm climbing from the tip of her toes to the hair on her head. He felt her thighs clench around his head and he knew she was extremely close. He changed the angle of his fingers, and she barely got the warning out before her thighs clamped around his head, the hand in his hair tightening as she screamed his name.

It wasn't over yet.

Daryl moved back up her body, devouring her ample breasts before moving back to claim her mouth. She tasted her own juices while his tongue massaged her own, she moaned into him, feeling the rock hard length against her thigh. He rolled his hips into hers, grunting at the sweet friction between them.

She rose her hips up, inviting him to be inside of her. His penis was like a guided missile and it slammed straight home, making both Betty and Daryl pause with utmost pleasure. Betty's eyes fluttered and Daryl squeezed his shut, clenching his hands into fists either side of her head.

He slowly withdrew before slamming back into her, making her whine his name. His hips thrusted forward, while her own roll beneath him, each time making Daryl go deeper and deeper. He moved his mouth away from hers, instead giving attention to her nipples, he devoured her right one and sucked it gently, his tongue rolling over the bud. He got easier access as his pace increased and her back rose off the cot.

He moved his attention to the other, as his thrusts became faster and deeper. She moaned his name, urging him on with determination. He brought his mouth back to her neck, claiming the skin there was delicate bites that would certainly leave marks. His one hand grabbed at her shoulder, forcing her down onto his hard member with each thrust.

He brought his other hand into the game, placing his fingers over her centre and finding the exact pressure and pace to match his thrusts. She felt the build of her second orgasm, this one much stronger than the first. Betty was scared that her screams would alert the walkers and the group, so she made a fist and bit onto it tightly. Daryl groaned at the visual, pushing himself deeper inside of her than he thought he could go.

Her whole body tightened around him and her thighs spasmed. Daryl swore at how tightly she squeezed him, digging his hand into the soft flesh of her hip. Betty moved her hand beneath her, grabbing Daryl's balls and massaging them firmly. Needing him to release, needing him to feel the pleasure he was creating for her. As soon as her hand touched him, he slammed into her even harder, his hand creating a handprint on her hip.

The last thirty seconds were hard and fast, the noises that pushed past his lips and got caught in his throat as he came made her throb around him. She milked every last drop out of him, before collapsing onto Daryl's cot, and burying her face into his pillow with exhaustion.

The bed shifted and Daryl laid down next to her, panting hard while sweat gleamed off him. Betty sighed in satisfaction, tracing her fingers over the nail marks she had left on his upper arms.

"New scars" She sighed.

Daryl looked down at them, smirking briefly. "Least they ain't bad" He muttered.

Betty lent up and kissed him gently, a kiss that made her stomach flutter. She moved off the bed, recollecting her clothing and shoving it on. "Ah thank if we wait much longer, Rick will come out. We dun wan' him ta see ya nude, do we?" Betty snickered.

Daryl bolted upright, and Betty watched him put on his clothes in record time. Together they emptied his tent, piling his camping furniture onto the back of his pickup truck with the rest of the things. They then took down his tent, and packed it on.

"I'm gonna miss your screams" Daryl admitted boldly.

Betty flushed, and she looked down. "Daryl" She mumbled embarrassedly.

Daryl came up behind her, kissing her cheek. "Yer gunna 'ave ta ride ma bike up ta the house" He drawled, "Since ye dun know how ta drive manual". Daryl was thankful Betty didn't know how to drive manual, otherwise he wouldn't be able to see her tight ass ride in front of him on his bike.

Betty rolled her eyes, having not missed the lustful look in Daryl's eyes. She let him think he was subtle, and she swayed over to his bike. She played it up for him, over exaggerating when she bent over so his favourite shorts would ride up to her ass. She lent over to far when starting the motorcycle, and she even tied her shirt up so her mid-drift showed.

Thankfully he was already in his truck by then, otherwise they would of been up for round two.

Betty led them back to the house, knowing that Daryl was leering at her behind every step of the way. Once she got back to the house, she slowly slid off the bike and Daryl's rough hands were already grabbing at her hips. She pushed back into him, rubbing herself against the hardening member in his pants. What was going to be an eventful night from the look in the duo's eyes, seemed to fizzle away then and there.

"Randall's gone!" T-Dog announced.


	37. The Invasion

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

The search was on.

Rick had brought the group out to the toolshed, where it remained barren of Randall's presence. The door had been locked and it sparked suspicion within the group, a suspicion that obviously led back to Shane. He was absent, and everyone had already ruled him as the problem.

"He could be anywhere" Carol whispered worriedly.

"Git all tha women inside" Daryl ordered, he looked at Johnny pointedly. "Ya'll git inside"

Johnny ushered the women and Carl back towards the farmhouse, grabbing Betty's arm tightly as well. She protested against him, struggling out of his grip to come forward again. She looked at Rick, but he wasn't up for games.

"No Liz, go back inside!" He demanded, "Randall's dangerous, and over my dead body will you go out looking for him"

Judging by the serious look in Rick's eyes, Betty relaxed and allowed Johnny to pull her away. As the group started to back away towards the farmhouse, Rick, Glen and Daryl were left to stare at the tool shed aimlessly.

"Rick!"

They turned suddenly, squinting their eyes to spot Shane appearing out of the fringe of trees, his nose leaking with blood and slightly bent. The three males rushed towards him, eyes wide with horror.

"Wha' happened?" Daryl asked quickly.

"He's gone, he's got my gun" Shane shouted, "Bastard just snuck up on me, and clocked me in the face!"

Rick looked over at the group, "Get inside now!" He shouted. The group nodded and raced back to the farmhouse, and when Rick was satisfied, he looked at Shane with alarm. "Let's go" He ordered.

Shane started to lead the three males back towards the trees, having received a new gun from Daryl. He was on edge, and everyone could sense it. Rick wanted to believe it was because of Randall, but his instinct said otherwise. They walked further into the trees, and Shane immediately took lead.

"I saw him go up that way" He said, pointing towards a set of trees. "I'm not sure how long"

"He can't of got far" Rick muttered. "He's weak, exhausted" He looked over at Daryl, "Can you track him?"

"Naw, ah can't see nuthin'" Daryl mumbled, looking around the floor hurriedly.

"Hey, there ain't no need for tracking. He went that way, we need to pair up, split up. Chase him down thats it" Shane said quickly. Rick and Daryl looked over at him suspiciously, before Daryl irritably looked around.

"That kid ain't big, ye tryna tell us he got a jump on ya?" He asked.

Shane glared at him, "Well Daryl, we ain't all redneck trackers" He snapped, and Daryl turned to him quickly, mouth open for argument.

"Alright alright. Enough you two. Daryl and Glen, you go that way. Shane and I will go this way" Rick commanded, he grabbed Shane's arm and pulled him in a opposite direction. "Remember Randalls not the only threat out there" He muttered over his shoulder.

#

Betty worriedly paced in the middle of Hershel's family room. She nibbled on her fingernails, and nothing anyone could say would break her out of this trance. She hadn't brought in hers or Daryl's equipment from his pickup truck, instead leaving it out there incase. Johnny kept trying to get her to get it, but the instinct in her stomach refused.

She had even secretly packed up Valerie's and Johnny's luggage just incase.

"You've got to settle down, relax" Patricia soothed her, patting her shoulder gently.

"How can ah? Thar ain't nuthin' ah can do" Betty mumbled. "I'm so worried"

"We all are, but getting yourself into a state won't help" Hershel pitched in. He coaxed her towards the couch and sat her down, nestling her in between Valerie and Johnny. Although she wasn't walking around, she tapped her foot anxiously.

The group stayed in silence, every now and then T-Dog and Johnny would check out the windows for any sign of movement. Hershel had taken it upon himself to sit outside on the porch, a dated shot gun spread across his lap while he smoked on his pipe. It would of been comical in other situations, but no one was laughing.

Betty had already strapped herself with a loaded rifle, her pickaxe tightly in her hand.

The group heard a booming shot, and then not long after they suddenly heard a muffle of voices, before a loud thud on the porch and then the house door swung open. Betty could see three figures against the black night, before Daryl, Glen and Hershel stepping into the dimly lit room.

But surprisingly her anxiety didn't soothe. "Wheres Rick?" She asked, right before Lori could.

Daryl stared at her, "Ye mean he ain't back?" He drawled. "We heard a shot"

"Maybe they found Randall" Lori suggested.

"We found 'im. He was a walker"

"Did you find the walker that bit him?" Hershel asked in alarm.

"The weird thing he wasn't bit or scratched. His neck was broken" Glen mumbled.

"Tha thang is, Shane 'n Randall's tracks were on top of one another. They were together" Daryl murmured.

"Can you please get back out there and find Shane and Rick, and find out what the hell happened?" Lori pleaded, in which Daryl nodded politely. "Thank you" She whispered.

#

"Looks like its busted pretty bad" Rick remarked, he glanced at Shane.

Shane touched his nose tenderly, and grunted in agreement. They exchanged a glance, both trying to ignore the feeling that settled in their stomach. One of finality, one that sent cold chills through each others bodies.

He started to lead Rick through the woods, the moon light illuminating the shadows among the trees. It was a sorrowful night, and Shane kept glancing back at Rick occasionally. Rick knew what was happening, and the grip on his gun tightened. Rick kept his distance and opted to walk beside Shane. They walked up a small slope, before Rick stopped abruptly and looked into the distance.

"He snatched your gun huh?" He drawled.

"Thats what I said, now lets try and find his sorry ass" Shane responded, his eyes not quite meeting Rick's. "C'mon Rick" He said softly.

Rick nodded to himself, and brushed past Shane gently. There was obvious tension in the air, but they both chose to ignore it. They walked on further through the woods, letting the sound of chirping birds fill the tense silence.

They came out of the fringe of trees, onto one of Hershel's many fields.

"You say he got you with a rock?" Rick muttered.

"Yeah" Shane answered gruffly, Rick was no in front of him and his eyes were boring into his skull.

"Inside the shed? The door was shut with T-Dog showed up" Rick added, and Shane's story was unraveling on itself. Rick kept walking forward, and Shane was closing the distance between them.

"I saw that too" Shane answered lamely. "Must of slipped through the rafters on the roof" Shane stopped and Rick walked forward a small bit.

Rick lowered his head and put his revolver back into his holster, he shook his head and turned back to Shane. "So this is where you planned to do it" He said roughly, glancing around the large dark paddock.

"It's a good place as any" Shane mumbled.

"At least have the balls to call this what it is" Rick snapped, he stared at Shane hard. "Murder" They started to walk round one another, "You really think you can just walk back to camp, no me, no Randall-"

"Hush up!"

"You really believe they're gonna buy whatever lie you tell them"

"It ain't no story. I saw Randall come up behind ya and snatch your gun, and kill you. Simple as that" Shane said boldly. "I ran after him, I snapped his neck. It ain't gonna be easy, but Lori and Carl will get over you like they did before. They just gonna have to" Shane raised his pistol at Rick.

"You really think Liz will believe you?" Rick threw back, "After all the lies you told her and me"

Shane frowned, "What the hell you on about?" He snapped.

"You damn well know what I'm talking about you bastard!" Rick snipped, and Shane rose his gun higher. "You sent my little sister to Juvi"

Shane scoffed, "Liz needed to straighten up" Shane said, although his words faltered. His hand trembling briefly.

Rick caught onto this and edged forward, "You don't have to do this Shane, we can go back to normal and forget this ever happened. I can make Liz forgive you, the group won't be scared of you. This doesn't have to end this way" Rick assured.

"You think we're just gonna ride off into the sunset together?" Shane chortled.

"You gonna kill me in cold blood?" Rick scoffed, "Screw my wife, have MY children call you daddy and take me away from my sister again? Is that what you want?" Rick snapped. "That life won't be worth a damn, I know you. You won't be able to live with this"

"What do you know about what I have to live with?" Shane argued, "You've got no idea, I'm a better father than you ever will be. I'm better for Lori, because I'm a better man" Shane raised his gun. "Raise your gun!"

"You're gonna have to kill an unarmed man" Rick said calmly, he pulled his gun from his holster and dropped it to the ground. Before raising his hands, "Now listen to me Shane, theres still a way back from this. Nothings happened here, we're gonna lower our guns and walk back to the farm together. Back to Lori, Carl, and Liz. We'll put this all behind us" They walked closer together.

Shane lowered his gun, an almost sense of relief passing over his face.

Rick took the opportunity to send his pocket knife into Shane's stomach. Shane's gun went off but missed Rick, he staggered forward and it almost seemed like an awkward embrace. Rick pushed Shane back onto the ground and crouched above him.

"Damn you for making me do this!" Rick snapped, "This is you! Not me" Rick cried.

Shane gurgled from the ground and tears fell from Rick's eyes, "You did this to us, this was you, not me" He croaked. Blood poured from Shane's open mouth and wound, and Rick clung to his shirt with aggression. "You, not me" He whispered.

#

Daryl raced outside, only to stop abruptly. Betty followed after him, slamming into his back hard and making a small noise of complaint.

"Every time" She muttered angrily.

Daryl didn't budge, and she knew something was wrong. She came to his side, glancing up at him curiously and taking in his tensed jaw and hooded eyes. She nudged him and he looked down at her, before pointing out to the farm.

She followed his gaze and gasped.

Hundreds of walkers flooded out into the farm grounds, their stumbling presence pressing in on the farmhouse. Their low groans were growing louder as they grew closer, and not a single thought came to Betty's mind. She stood numbly, and he too seemed frozen in the moment with a startled look on his face. They slowly exchanged a worried look, nodding at one another, they flew into action.

Daryl grabbed his cross bow and fished around in his pocket for his motorcycle keys. Betty barged inside, "Tha farms overrun" She shouted, "Move...now!" She yelled, pushing Glen and T-Dog to the front door. "Grab the cars and start shooting" She ordered and they obeyed naturally. Andrea and T-Dog hopped in together and Maggie and Glen went into the jeep.

"Pack up" Betty ordered to the remainders of the group, and she went outside onto the porch with Hershel. He had his large shotgun in his arms, accompanied with a hard expression. "Hershel shouldn't we leave?" She asked, growing flustered over the disorganization of the group.

"I will go down with this farm" He declared, cocking the shotgun and stepping down the porch.

"Well alright than" Stone said, an actual grin forming on her face.

"Betty!" Valerie called out, appearing at her side and nearly toppling her over. "What should I do?" She asked.

"Stay wit Johnny, he'll take care of ya. Leave as soon as ye can" Betty ordered, she gave Valerie a small squeeze on the shoulder and urged her to leave. "Watch out"

"Okay" Valerie whispered, before she ran off. "Be safe"

"Ye too" She called back.

Betty ushered Carol, Patricia and Beth to the other side of the porch. Lori yelled out to Hershel several times, while Betty made her way down the steps and grabbed the rifle off her back. She shot at the walkers advancing on the farmhouse, the farm was chaotic. Betty stood at the fence, wasting every last bullet in her rifle and not even making a small dent in the intruding walkers.

On her last resort, she started using her pickaxe to slice off heads. Meanwhile the group's cars were swerving back and forth and mowing down several walkers that pushed over the fence. It was then that the barn erupted in flames, and the walkers inside started burning. The smell of burning rotting corpses floated over the farm, followed by the small gust of ash. Betty choked momentarily on the ash, before turning to spot Jimmy standing on the porch with wide eyes.

"Jimmy!" She shouted out, catching his attention with serious arm waving. He looked at her frightfully, and she pointed to Dale's RV. "Go ta tha barn, ah thank Rick is in thar. Tha keys are in tha ignition" She yelled over the gun fire. Jimmy nodded meekly and raced over to the RV, he started it to life and drove the large vehicle to the barn. Betty watched him go, before hearing a heart wrenching scream.

She looked over to see Patricia pulled back into a group of walkers, Beth clung to her desperately until she was wrenched away by Lori. Betty's eyes traveled protectively over the group, and then she spotted Carol backed into a corner. T-Dog's car passed and Betty called out "Andrea"

Andrea's head popped out of the window and she looked towards Carol. She nodded and hoped out of the car, immediately Lori and Beth barreled into the car. Betty brought her attention back to the walkers, only did she realize that she was surrounded by a whole group. She sprinted backwards, calling out for Hershel to get to his car. Hershel nodded and started making his way back to the only car.

She raced over to the east of the farm, where she was immediately scooped up by Daryl. He swung her onto the back of his bike, and she clung on for dear life. They were able to leave the walkers behind, and he parked the bike away from the walker.

Daryl kept quiet, and Betty assumed he was watching over the group.

"Wha's wrong Daryl?" She asked him, aware of his change of mood.

"Ma momma died in a fire" He said simply, "When ah was liddol 'n Merle weren't thar. She liked ta drink 'n smoke in bed, one day that fire gone eat her up 'n she was gone forever"

Betty wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and squeezed him tightly. She looked around at the gathering walkers. "We better go Daryl" She whispered, and he nodded to himself. He started his bike to life and they sped off on a connecting dirt track.


	38. Death and Love

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Walking Dead comic book or TV series, nor do I own the characters...I wish I did, but I don't!

**Summary:** Betty was far from the typical refined southern heritage. Having drifted from her family at a young age, she never saw or heard from then again.  
So when a apocalypse hits, she doesn't really care. That is until she meets her brother again.

* * *

On the drive back to the highway, Betty had managed to tell Daryl about Shane sending her to Juvi. Naturally he had been so angered that he had to pull over, he had climbed back on however and promised to beat the hell out of Shane when they got to the highway. Once they had arrived, he didn't even greet the three people that were waiting patiently.

"Wheres Shane, Imma kill 'im." He cursed.

Rick's eyes fell to the ground at that time, and Betty frowned. "He's gone" He announced.

Betty covered her mouth quickly, unable to say anything. Luckily for her, the rest of the group drove back and the awkward silence that had fell on the group, was suddenly turned into a more comfortable one. High spirits were around the group, Lori, T-Dog, Beth, Maggie and Glen had returned unharmed, but Patricia and Andrea were missing. Soon Carol, Johnny and Valerie came but something was dreadfully wrong.

Once the vehicle was parked, Betty squinted to see that Valerie was drooping in the passenger seat.

"She alright?" Daryl asked, having caught on to Betty's changed mood.

Johnny shook his head, he dragged Valerie out of the passenger seat and placed her on the ground, so her back was leaning up against the car door. The group surrounded her, only to see a large wound on her neck, one resembling a bite mark.

Betty felt her body quake with dread, she sunk to her knees beside Valerie's body, barely registering the strong hands that gripped her shoulders. Valerie coughed violently from the ground, her skin paling drastically while she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Valerie" She whispered.

"Ah-ah found 'em on her, ah didn't git thar in time" Johnny choked.

Betty nodded in recognition, she grabbed Valerie's delicate hand and squeezed it softly. Valerie gently regarded her, her lips trying their hardest to form a proper sentence. Frustration was evident in her face, but she squeezed Betty's hand back.

"S-shoot me now" She pleaded.

Betty shook her head, tears freely falling down her cheeks. "No!" She hissed.

Valerie propped herself up with difficulty, gazing at both Betty and Johnny hard. "I-i don't want to turn into one of them. Please do this for me, y-you promised. Remember?" She begged, her own tears forming in her eyes.

Betty and Johnny both remembered. They had all made a pact, if one was to be bit, the rest of the group was to kill the infected one. Now it was her turn to go, Betty felt her heart pang but Valerie was smiling slightly.

"It'll be alright" She reassured.

Betty nodded, and Daryl slipped a gun into her hand. The rest of the group backed away, while Johnny and Betty both held the gun together. They aimed it in the centre of Valerie's skull, and she stared up at them.

"We love you" Johnny whispered.

"Ditto" Valerie replied, before the trigger was pulled.

#

It had been two weeks since the group departed from the highway, leaving Valerie's small grave on the side of the road behind. Andrea had gone missing and the group assumed she was dead, and everyone found out that Rick had killed Shane. Lori and Rick weren't talking and tensions had risen between the two. Although Rick's relationship with Lori had turned sour, he had turned to someone he thought unlikely.

Betty had forgiven Rick.

She had decided that she had too many loses, and she wasn't going to lose her brother now. She was grieving Valerie's death still, but every day was becoming easier and easier. Rick had been over the moon that Betty wanted to start over, and it seemed like they were children again, doing stupid things together when they could.

Unfortunately as the days went on, things started to become more serious.

Betty's relationship with Daryl had taken another turn, they had basically come out about their relationship to the group and now Betty stayed in Daryl's tent. Johnny was happy for the pair, but every now and then he would feel lonely and in Carol, he found companionship.

Betty was happy for the pair, both of them had lost so much and they had found one another. It was the same for her and Daryl.

Now she was sitting beside Daryl by a small campfire, her tucked into his side while his arm circled her shoulders. She was sharpening his knife for him, while he secretly fed her a mouthful or two of squirrel.

"Ya'll are like a married couple" Johnny remarked, laughing slightly.

Daryl grinned, glancing down at Betty affectionately. "Sumthin' like that" He mumbled.

Johnny made a vomiting noise, and hauled Carol up. Together they walked back over to Rick, who had the group surrounding a large fire pit. Betty looked up at Daryl questionably, tugging at his shirt for attention.

"Wha' did ye mean like that? We ain't married" She mumbled.

"Dun' mean ah dun love ya" He whispered softly.

Betty froze and she sat upright, staring at him with wide eyes. "Ye love me?" She whispered. He nodded and she claimed his lips with her own. "Ah love ye too" She said in between kisses.

He grabbed her and tucked her beneath his arm again, and then and there, Betty realised that even if the world had turned to shit. She still had Daryl Dixon to make it all better.

* * *

**Sorry guys, I have to end it there. I have no motivation to continue this story, but I thank you for the great reviews and feedback. Check out my page for other stories, and so sorry for the abrupt way it ended.**


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